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from  f ^e  £i6rati?  of 
J)rofe50or  Triffiam  (gltffer  (J)d;rton,  ®.®.,  &&.® 

to  f  0e  fetfirari?  of 
(Princeton  ^^^eofogicctf  ^eminctrg 

BV  4315  .P6^867^ 
Plumer,  William  S.  1802- 

1880. 
Words  of  truth  and  love 


/  ^ 


Do  all  the  good  you  can. 


Page  61. 


WORDS 


FEB  281912 

OF  V       >.  ^ 


^SICAL  «^ 


TRUTH   AND   LOVE. 


KEY.  WILLIAM  S.  PLUMER,  D.D. 


"Wilt  thou  not  from  this  time  cry  unto  me,  My  Father,  thou  art 
the  guide  of  my  youth  ?" — Jee.  iii.  4. 


PHILADELPHIA : 

PRESBYTERIAN   BOARD   OF   PUBLICATION, 
No.  821   CHESTNUT  STREET. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  tlie  year  1867,  by 

THE   TRUSTEES   OF   THE 

PRESBYTERIAN  HOARD  OF  PUBLICATION, 

in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  tlie  District  Court  for  the  Eastern  District 

of  Pennsylvania. 

STEREOTYPED    BY    WESTCOTT    &    THOMSON. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGK 

I.  The  Holy  Child   Jesus 5 

II.  Cain   and  Abel 12 

III.  Names  given  to  the  Wicked 19 

IV.  Names  given  to  the  Righteous 25 

V.  How  you  may  know  a  child 31 

VI.  Children   should   know  the  Scriptures 37 

VII.  Faith  in  Christ 44 

VIII.  A  Visit  to  my  Old  Home 51 

IX.  Do  all  the  good  you  can 60 

X.  The  child  that  was  ready  to  perish 65 

XL  Meroh,  the  African '^3 

3 


4  CONTENTS. 

PAQB 

XII.  Let  poor  boys  be  of  good  courage 83 

XIII.  A  ride  in  the  pine  woods 91 

XIV.  Money 101 

XV.  Rules  for  Children 108 

XVI.  The  Angels.     They  take  care  of  Children 114 

XVII.  Counsels  for  Children 120 


WORDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 


I. 

THE  HOLY  CHILD  JESUS, 

Jesus  Cheist  was  the  only  child  ever  born 
that  did  not  have  a  sinful  nature.  It  is  very 
fit,  therefore,  that  pious  men  should  call  him 
the  holy  child  Jesus.  Acts  iv.  27.  The  angel 
who  foretold  his  birth  to  Mary  said,  ''That 
holy  thing  which  shall  be  born  of  thee  shall 
be  called  the  Son  of  God."  Luke  i.  35. 
From  the  first,  Christ's  whole  nature  was 
pure.  He  never  sinned.  In  childhood,  youth 
and  manhood  he  was  holy.  While  he  was 
yet  a  suckling,  he  had  Christian  graces  in  ex- 
ercise, Ps.  xxii.  9.  He  never  had  one  wicked 
feeling.  He  cherished  no  sinful  thought. 
He  never  spoke  an  evil  word.  He  never  did 
1  *  5 


6       WORDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 

a  wrong  act.  The  longer  he  lived,  the  more 
did  he  prove  his  spotless  purity.  He  grew 
in  favour  with  God  and  man.  Luke  ii.  52. 
Let  us  note  some  things. 

I.  Jesus  Christ  was  always  true.  He  lied 
to  no  one.  He  deceived  no  one.  He  made 
up  no  stories  to  amuse  or  mislead  mankind. 
He  was  truth  itself.  Other  children  go 
astray  as  soon  as  they  are  born,  speaking 
lies,  Ps.  Iviii.  3.  So  strong  is  this  bias  that 
it  requires  all  the  wisdom  of  good  parents  to 
check  it.  But  Jesus  loved  truth  and  hated 
every  false  way. 

II.  Jesus  Christ  was  just  He  wronged  no 
one.  His  thoughts  were  just.  His  w^ords 
were  just.  His  deeds  were  just.  Though 
Lord  of  all,  he  was  willing  to  live  and  die 
poor,  rather  than  to  seem  to  claim  that  which 
was  not  his  own.  He  never  cheated  any  one. 
He  often  gave  up  his  own  rights.  He  never 
made  others  give  up  their  rights  for  him. 
If  all  the  world  were  as  just  as  Jesus  Christ 
was,  there  would  be  a  speedy  end  of  all  strife. 

III.  Jesus  Christ  was  hi7id.     His  heart 


THE   HOLY   CHILD    JESUS.  7 

was  full  of  tenderness  and  gentleness.  He 
pitied  like  a  God.  He  said  and  did  more 
kind  things  than  any  could  read  lin  a  long 
lifetime,  if  they  were  fully  written.  Jolin  xxi. 
25.  Never  did  he  by  harshness  drive  any 
one  away  from  him.  Some  thought  he  did 
not  care  for  little  children.  But  they  were 
wholly  mistaken.  Matt.  xix.  13-15,  Mark 
X.  13-16,  Luke  xviii.  16.  Jesus  loved  chil- 
dren as  none  else  ever  did.  He  died  for 
them  no  less  than  for  their  parents.  Is  it  not 
strange  that  every  one  does  not  love  Jesus  ? 
He  is  so  loving  and  so  lovely.  None  has 
done  so  much  for  us  all.  He  is  full  of  grace 
and  mercy. 

IV.  Jesus  Christy  was  devout.  He  loved 
prayer  and  praise.  He  loved  to  think  on 
God.  He  loved  the  Bible,  and  the  Sabbath, 
and  the  house  of  God.  Even  after  walking 
in  the  day  over  the  dusty  plains  of  Judea 
he  used  to  retire  and  spend  the  night  where 
prayer  was  wont  to  be  made.  Luke  vi.  12. 
He  loved  God,  and  God  loved  him.  His 
fellowship  was  with  his  Father. 


8       WORDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 

V.  Jesus  Christ  hept  the  whole  law  of  God, 
He  broke  no  precept.  He  came  short  in  noth- 
ing. He  thought,  and  felt,  and  said,  and  did  all 
that  the  law  required.  He  never  did,  or 
said,  or  felt,  or  thought  anything  that  it  for- 
bade. 

So  that  there  was  no  flaw  in  his  character. 
Neither  God  nor  man  had  any  cause  to  find 
fault  with  him.  By  a  voice  from  heaven, 
God  said,  "This  is  my  beloved  Son,  in 
whom  I  am  well  pleased."  The  holy  an- 
gels and  the  spirits  of  just  men  made  per- 
fect in  heaven  find  great  joy  in  admiring 
him.  The  judge  that  sat  on  his  trial,  more 
than  once  said,  "I  find  no  fault  in  him." 
Mohammed,  who  sat  up  a  kingdom  opposed 
to  Christ,  did  not  deny  that  Jesus  was  pure 
and  holy.  Even  worse  infidels,  who  have 
blasphemed  the  Bible,  profaned  the  Sabbath, 
mocked  at  holy  worship,  and  laughed  at  holy 
people,  have  been  forced  to  say,  that  the  good 
name  of  Jesus  Christ  was  spotless.  ISTone 
ever  proved  a  fault  on  him. 

Is  Jesus  Christ  holy,  harmless,  and  unde- 


THE    HOLY   CHILD    JESUS.  9 

filed?  Then  he  is  fit  to  be  our  Prophet,  Priest 
and  King.  We  could  not  trust  a  Mediator, 
who,  like  ourselves,  was  vile  and  an  offence 
unto  God.  A  sinner  could  not  stand  between 
sinners  and  a  holy  God.  A  sinner  might  as 
well  answer  for  himself  as  have  anotlier  sin- 
ner to  defend  him.  Because  Jesus  was  with- 
out sin,  he  could  bear  the  sin  of  many.  A 
lamb  for  sacrifice  must  be  without  spot  or 
blemish.  It  is  for  a  joy  to  all  good  men 
that  the  Redeemer  is  himself  without  sin. 

If  we  would  be  saved,  we  must  flee  to 
Christ.  He  is  the  only  refuge,  the  only  Re- 
fleemer  of  lost  men. 

If  we  would  be  saved,  we  must  become 
like  Christ.  That  requires  a  great  change 
which  can  be  wrought  only  by  the  power  of 
the  Holy  Ghost.  He  alone  can  change  the 
vile  heart,  and  cure  the  love  and  habit  of  sin- 
ning. Old  or  young  we  must  all  be  born 
again.  If  we  are  ever  to  be  saved,  God  must 
take  the  heart  of  stone  out  of  our  flesh,  and 
give  us  a  heart  of  flesh.  Else  our  hardness 
of   heart   will   forever    render    us   unfit   for 


10      WORDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 

heaven.  Oh,  that  each  one  would  cry  might- 
ily to  God  to  give  him  a  new  heart,  and  to 
put  a  right  spirit  within  him.  God  will  give 
his  Holy  Spirit  to  them  that  ask  him. 

Let  us  search .  and  try  our  w^ays,  and  find 
out  how  wicked  we  are.  Let  us  not  deceive 
ourselves.  Many  think  that  they  are  some- 
thing, when  they  are  nothing.  It  is  not  easy 
to  learn  the  whole  truth  about  our  own  evil 
hearts.  Let  us  be  candid.  Self-love  blinds 
us.  Let  us  be  thorough  and  look  at  the  dark 
signs  as  well  as  pleasant  ones.  Let  us  not 
hold  fast  deceit.  Many  perish  because  they 
are  not  willing  to  know  the  truth  about  them- 
selves. If  we  love  darkness,  it  will  ruin  us. 
Let  us  not  spare  our  own  faults.  He  is  our 
friend,  who  kindly  tells  us  of  our  sins.  It 
will  be  a  dreadful  thing  to  wake  up  at  the 
close  of  life  and  find  that  we  are   lost  forever. 

If  we  do  not  kill  sin,  it  will  kill  us.  If 
we  do  not  put  it  to  death,  it  will  bring  on  us 
a  death  that  never  dies.  Some  Hindoos  make 
men  shudder  by  carrying  venomous  serpents 
in  their  bosoms.   Those,  who  thus  carry  them, 


THE  HOLY  CHILD  JESUS.        11 

think  they  have  tamed  them,  so  that  they  will 
not  bite.  Perhaps  it  is  so.  But  every  sin, 
secret  or  open,  great  or  small,  works  death  to 
the  soul.     It  is  full  of  deadly  poison. 

What  a  happy  place  heaven  will  be!  No 
sin  enters  that  house  not  made  with  hands. 
Every  one  that  has  ever  passed  from  earth  to 
the  joys  which  are  at  God's  right  hand,  is 
entirely  like  Christ.  Blessed  be  God,  in 
heaven  we  shall  never,  never  sin.  Satan,  the 
tempter,  never  comes  there.  The  worship  of 
that  upper  temple  is  never  marred  by  evil 
thoughts.  Even  on  earth  when  we  by  faith 
see  God  in  Christ,  we  are  changed  into  the 
same  image  from  glory  to  glory,  as  by  the 
Spirit  of  the  Lord.  But  in  heaven,  the  work 
shall  be  finished.  Not  a  spot  shall  appear  on 
the  soul  of  any  one  saved. 


12  WORDS    OF    TRUTH    AND    LOVE. 


II. 

CAIN  AND   ABEL. 

The  first  child  ever  born  was  Cain;  the 
second,  AbeL  The  word  Cain  signifies  a  pos- 
session. It  is  thought  that  this  name  was 
given  him,  because  his  mother  hoped  that  he 
was  to  be  a  great  blessing  to  the  world.  She 
probably  looked  on  him  as  the  promised  Mes- 
siah. She  said,  "I  have  gotten  a  man  from 
the  Lord."  Perhaps  it  might  better  read, 
"I  have  gotten  the  man  Jehovah."  The 
word  Abel  signifies  vanity.  By  the  time  he 
was  born,  his  parents  had  learned  much  of 
the  vanity  of  the  Avorld.  Perhaps  too,  Cain 
had  begun  to  show  signs  of  those  wicked  dis- 
positions, which  clearly  proved  that  he  was 
not  the  seed  of  the  woman,  who  was  to  bruise 
the  serpent's  head.  Before  his  fall,  Adam  had 
wisely  given  names  to  all  the  creatures  that 


CAIN    AND    ABEL.  13 

God  had  made.     Now  that  he  was  a  sinner. 


he  knew  not  how  to  give  fit  names  even  to 
his  own  children.  Cain  was  far  more  a  vanity 
than  Abel.  Abel  was  a  far  richer  possession 
than  Cain.  A  bad  man  may  have  a  good 
name.  Many  a  base  man  has  been  called 
George  Washington. 

Cain  w^as  a  tiller  of  the  ground.  It  is 
probable  that  he  made  good  crops,  and  was 
quite  a  thrifty  farmer.  His  garners  may 
have  been  well  filled.  Abel  was  a  keeper 
of  sheep.  His  chief  business  was  the  care 
of  his  flocks.  No  doubt  God  blessed  him  in 
his  labour.  Of  the  early  history  of  these  two 
persons,  we  know  nothing  now.  They  were 
both  instructed  in  the  true  religion.  They 
both  knew  that  Jehovah  was  the  living  God. 
"In  process  of  time,"  or,  at  the  end  of  days, 
meaning,  as  some  think,  at  the  end  of  the 
year,  each  of  them  made  an  offering  to  God. 
Here  the  real  difference  between  them  ap- 
peared. They  both  worshipped  the  Lord. 
They  both  sacrificed.  The  worship  of  one  may 
have  been  as  costly,  as  decent,  and  as  solemn 


14     WORDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 

as  that  of  the  other.  Yet  their  worship  was 
very  diiferent.  Their  hearts  were  not  in  the 
same  state.  God  cares  nothing  for  mere  forms, 
nor  for  the  splendour  of  religious  rites.  Rivers 
of  oil,  the  gold  of  Ophir,  and  the  cattle  on  a 
thousand  hills  are  his  already. 

The  kinds  of  oifering  were  different.  Cain's 
was  at  most  a  thank-oifering ;  but  Abel's  was 
a  sin-oifering.  Cain  did  not  confess  that  he 
was  guilty  and  needed  pardon.  Far  from 
this,  he  was  proud  and  self-sufficient.  He 
thought  very  well  of  himself.  He  had  no 
sins  to  confess.  He  was  not  bowed  down 
under  a  sense  of  his  vileness.  He  wept  no 
tears  of  penitence.  He  was  willing,  after  a 
fashion,  to  give  thanks  for  temporal  mercies. 

On  the  other  hand,  Abel  Avas  humble.  He 
felt  that  he  was  a  sinner,  and  needed  a  Sa- 
viour. He  saw  that  he  had  broken  the  per- 
fect law  of  God.  He  felt  that  that  law  was 
good  in  its  precept,  and  good  in  its  penalty. 
Abel  saw  that  there  was  no  hope  for  him, 
except  in  atoning  blood,  of  which  the  blood 
of  a  lamb  was  a  type. 


CAIN   AND    ABEL.  15 

Cain  does  not  seem  to  have  felt  that  God 
had  any  strong  claims  upon  him.  He  denied 
that  the  Lord  had  a  rig4it  to  prescribe  the 
worship  which  was  to  be  offered  him.  Neither 
by  word  nor  deed  did  Cain  make  any  confes- 
sions. He  was  willing  to  pay  such  worship 
as  his  parents  might  have  offered  in  Eden,  be- 
fore their  fall.  A  great  defect  of  his  service 
was  his  entire  want  of  regard  to  the  char- 
acter of  God  as  holy,  just,  true,  and  right- 
eous, hating  sin,  and  yet  offering  mercy  by 
Jesus  Christ. 

But  Abel  had  his  eye  turned  to  the  Lamb 
of  God  that  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world. 
He  saw  Christ's  day,  and  rejoiced  in  it.  His 
mind  was  fixed  on  the  Redeemer,  which 
should  yet  stand  upon  the  earth. 

The  great  difference  between  these  two  wor- 
shippers was  that  Abel  had  true,  living  faith ; 
and  Cain  had  none.  Abel  took  God  at  his 
word ;  while  Cain  set  up  for  himself.  Abel 
obeyed ;  while  Cain  rebelled.  Abel  adopted 
the  religion  of  sinners,  because  he  saw  that 
he  was  a  sinner;  Cain  preferred  the  religion 


16      WOKDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 

of  sinless  beings,  as  he  vainly  esteemed  him- 
self such.  Abel  cried,  God  be  merciful  to 
me,  a  sinner ;  Cain  came  thanking  God  that 
he  was  a  good  man.  In  worshipping,  Abel 
sought  expiation  and  propitiation ;  Cain  set 
up  to  worship  God  as  if  he  were  innocent  like 
the  angeJs  in  heaven.  Abel  relied  on  the 
great  High  Priest,  who  should  yet  shed  his 
blood  for  the  remission  of  the  sins  of  many. 
In  the  sight  of  God,  Cain  denied  that  he 
needed  any  such  sacrifice.  All  worship 
which  leaves  out  of  view  the  work  of  Christ 
for  us,  is  worthless.  God  justly  rejects  us, 
when  we  reject  his  Son. 

Abel  and  his  worship  were  accepted.  Cain 
and  his  worship  were  rejected.  The  offering 
of  neither  of  them  merited  anything.  But 
through  grace,  God  accepted  Abel  and  his 
offering;  while  he  justly  rejected  Cain,  be- 
cause his  sacrifice  was  an  insult.  It  was 
false  and  heartless.  It  was  a  reproach  to 
Christ.  God  accepted  the  offering  of  Abel, 
and  rejected  that  of  Cain  in  some  manner 
that  was  well  understood.     The  sign  in  such 


CAIN    AND    ABEL.  17 

cases  often  was  that  fire  came  down  from 
heaven  and  consumed  the  sacrifice  which 
God  approved;  while  the  rejected  offering 
was  not  burned.  Cain  clearly  understood 
that  God  did  not  approve  his  course.  He  as 
clearly  saw  that  his  brother  Abel  was  a  friend 
of  God.  Thus  malice  sprang  up  in  the  heart 
of  the  older  brother. 

His  bosom  was  filled  with  cruel  wrath. 
He  had  good  cause  to  be  displeased  with  him- 
self: he  had  no  right  to  find  fault  with  God 
or  with  Abel. 

Hatred  is  murder  in  the  heart.  Cain  was 
not  held  in  check  by  the  fear  of  God.  His 
envy  racked  his  bosom.  He  sought  and  took 
the  life  of  his  younger  brother,  and  that  be- 
cause he  was  a  child  of  God.  Thus  Abel 
became  the  first  martyr  in  the  cause  of  truth. 
He,  being  dead,  yet  speaketh  to  us.  On  his 
death  his  soul  went  up  to  worship  around  the 
throne  of  God.  He  never  has  been  sorry  for 
all  he  did  and  suffered  in  the  cause  of  God. 
He  has  long  beheld  the  face  of  that  Jesus, 
whose  death   he,  by  faith,  foresaw.      He  is 

2  * 


18      WORDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 

blessed  forever.  No  tear  ever  drops  from 
his  eye.  No  sorrow  ever  presses  his  heart. 
He  is  glorified  with  Christ,  whom  he  honoured 
in  life  and  in  death.  He  gave  to  God  the 
firstlings  of  his  flock.  Better  than  all  he  gave 
to  Gofl  his  life,  his  heart,  his  soul. 

Gain  has  the  fearful  distinction  of  having  shed 
the  first  human  blood.  For  that  crime  he  was 
expelled  from  the  church  of  God.  But  even 
against  this  mild  sentence  he  rebelled,  saying, 
"My  punishment  is  greater  than  I  can  bear." 
He  was  left  in  the  world  as  a  warning  to  men 
not  to  commit  murder.  He  lived  a  long 
time,  and  left  many  children ;  but  as  far  as 
we  know,  his  whole  career  was  that  of  a 
wicked  man.  Long  since,  he  passed  from 
earth  and  stood  before  the  Judge  of  all.  If 
he  died  in  his  sins,  how  dreadful  his  doom. 


NAMES    GIVEN    TO    THE    WICKED.  19 


III. 
NAMES   GIVEN  TO   THE    WICKED, 

I>:  the  Bible  we  read  of  the  children  of 
Belial,  and  of  the  sons  of  Belial,  1  Kings  xxi. 
13,  1  Sam.  XXV.  17,  2  Sam.  xxiii.  6.  The 
word  Belial  signifies  icitliout  "profit.  A  child 
of  Belial  is  one  who  is  worthless,  bad,  wicked. 
The  word  Belial  is  in  the  Bible  rendered 
wicked,  Ps.  ci.  3,  evil,  Ps.  xli.  8,  ungodly, 
Prov.  xvi.  27,  and  naugJity,  Prov.  vi.  12. 

Because  worthlessness  is  followed  by  de- 
struction, Belial  came  to  signify  destruction. 
In  the  New  Testament,  Belial  clearly  means 
Satan,  2  Cor.  vi.  15.  All  the  wicked  are  chil- 
dren of  Belial. 

Sometimes  the  wicked  are  called  children 
of  the  devil.  Satan  is  the  great  foe  of  God 
and  man.  He  is  the  chief  of  the  fallen 
angels.     He  is  cruel  and  has  no  pity.     He 


20      WORDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 

seeks  to  do  all  the  harm  he  can.  He  is  a  liar, 
an  accuser,  a  murderer.  Because  he  has  great 
power,  he  is  called  the  prince  of  this  world, 
and  the  god  of  this  world.  Through  a  ser- 
pent he  tempted  Adam  and  Eve,  and  so  he  is 
called  the  dragon,  that  old  serpent,  the  devil. 
Because  he  seeks  to  frighten  people  from  that 
which  is  good,  he  is  called  a  roaring  lion. 
Because  in  evil,  he  excels  all  others,  he  is 
called  that  Wicked  One.  To  be  a  child  of 
the  devil  is  to  be  like  the  devil,  false,  cruel, 
deceitful,  malignant,  hating  God  and  man. 
The  devil  has  many  children  in  this  world. 
They  do  as  he  bids  them.  They  love  what 
he  loves,  and  hate  what  he  hates.  Thus  they 
are  his  children,  John  viii.  44.  The  proud, 
the  fierce,  the  malicious,  the  cunning,  the 
bloody  are  all  the  children  of  the  devil.  Many 
men,  alas,  even  on  earth  bear  a  great  deal 
more  of  the  image  of  the  devil  and  of  the 
brute,  than  they  do  of  likeness  to  God. 

Sometimes  the  wicked  are  called  the  chil- 
dren of  hell.  Matt,  xxiii.  15.  Hell  is  the 
abode  of  fallen  angels  and  of  lost  men.     A 


NAMES    GIVEN   TO    THE    WICKED.  21 

child  of  hell,  therefore,  is  one  who  has  the 
spirit  of  those  who  are  in  hell.  It  is  an  awful 
thought  that,  by  their  sins,  men  often  make 
earth  very  much  like  hell. 

We  are  all  by  nature  the  chiklren  of  wrath, 
Eph.  ii.  3.  The  meaning  is,  we  are  born  un- 
der a  curse.  This  is  the  fruit  of  original  sin. 
The  guilt  and  vileness  of  our  state  at  birth 
are  dreadful. 

Sometimes  the  wicked  are  called  strange 
children,  Ps.  cxliv.  7,  11.  Sinners  are  stran- 
gers to  God.  They  know  neither  the  Father, 
nor  the  Son,  nor  the  Holy  Spirit.  They  are 
strangers  to  truth,  to  peace,  to  love,  and  to 
holiness. 

It  is  a  dreadful  thino^  to  be  a  sinner.  All 
the  wicked  are  rebels  against  God.  They  are 
the  enemies  of  the  Lord.  They  lift  their 
puny  arms  against  the  Most  High.  They 
fight  against  Jehovah.  They  live  under  his 
curse.  They  may  be  cut  down  at  any  moment, 
and  then  they  are  undone  forever.  It  were 
better  to  be  a  stone  or  a  beast  than  to  live  and 


22      WORDS  OF  THUTH  AND  LOVE. 

die  a  sinner,  yea,  it  were  better  never  to  have 
been  born  than  to  die  out  of  Christ. 

It  is  a  great  mercy  that  Christ  died  for  us. 
He  came  not  to  call  the  righteous,  but  sinners 
to  repentance.  He  did  not  lay  down  his  life 
for  friends,  but  for  foes.  His  grace  is  rich 
and  free,  and  knows  no  bound.  Oh,  that  all 
would  receive  it !  We  all  need  it.  Jesus 
Christ  never  casts  out  any  that  come  to  him, 
John  vi.  37.  He  never  despises  the  poor 
broken-hearted  penitent.  Oh  come  to  Christ ! 
He  is  the  best  friend  young  or  old  have.  He 
died  the  just  for  the  unjust.  When  on  earth, 
he  took  little  children  in  his  arms  and  blessed 
them. 

If  up  to  this  time,  God  has  made  you 
happy,  give  him  the  glory.  He  is  the  author 
of  all  your  blessings.  Praise  him  for  all  the 
good  things  you  enjoy.  They  all  come  from 
his  undeserved  goodness.  You  merit  none  of 
them.  Surely  you  owe  to  God  many,  many 
thanks  for  his  great  mercy.  If  one  had  no 
sins  but  those  of  childhood,  or  of  manhood, 
or  sins  of  the  tongue,  or  sins  against  parents, 


NAMES    GIVEN   TO    THE   WICKED.  23 

or  secret  sins,  or  sins  of  omission,  the  grace 
offered  us,  and  the  pity  shown  us,  would  be 
infinite.  But  when  God  offers  to  forgive  all 
our  sins,  we  might  think  that  even  the  blind 
would  see  that  his  mercy  did  reach  unto  the 
heavens.     Oh  let  us  praise  him  I 

Had  I  ten  thousand,  thousand  tongues, 

Not  one  should  silent  be; 
Had  I  ten  thousand,  thousand  hearts, 

I'd  give  them  all  to  thee. 

We  can  now  see  why  God  in  his  word 
makes  such  terrible  threatenings.  It  is  because 
sin  is  so  hateful.  Many  texts  in  the  Bible 
might  well  make  the  wicked  tremble.  Here 
are  a  few  of  them.  "God  is  angry  with  the 
wicked  everyday."  "The  Avicked  shall  be 
turned  into  hell,  and  all  the  nations  that  for- 
get God."  "His  own  iniquities  shall  take 
the  wicked  himself,  and  he  shall  be  holdeu 
with  the  cords  of  his  sins.  He  shall  die 
without  instruction ;  and  in  the  greatness  of 
his  folly  he  shall  go  astray."  The  loving  Sa- 
viour himself  said,  "If  ye  believe  not  that  I 
am  he,  ye  shall  die  in  your  sins."    God's  plan 


24      WORDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 

is  to  give  timely  warnings  in  plain  words. 
The  Scriptures  are  not  harsh,  though  they  tell 
the  truth.  The  reason  why  we  find  such  aw- 
ful language  in  the  Bible  is,  that  it  justly 
portrays  the  danger  and  the  doom  of  the 
wicked. 

Let  each  one  now  turn  to  the  Lord.  O 
sinner,  now  is  your  time.  Your  life  is  a 
vapour.  It  will  soon  be  gone  forever.  Why 
are  you  so  little  affected  with  eternal  things  ? 
Why  do  the  affairs  of  time  so  engross  your 
mind  ?  Are  you  blind  ?  Are  you  mad  ?  Are 
you  dead  in  sin?  Are  you  bent  on  ruin? 
Lord  Jesus,  open  the  blind  eyes,  cure  the 
madness  that  is  within  us,  clothe  us  in  our 
right  mind,  reach  forth  thy  strong  hand  and 
pluck  us  as  brands  from  the  burning.  By 
thy  Spirit  raise  us  up  to  newness  of  life.  Help 
us  to  live  as  seeing  things  invisible. 

"  Deeply  on  our  thoughtless  hearts, 
Eternal  things  impress." 


NAMES    GIVEN    TO    THE    RISHTEOUS.        25 


IV. 

NAMES  GIVEN  TO  THE  MIGHTEOTTS. 

In  Scripture  various  names  are  given  to 
the  pious.  They  are  called  children  of  God, 
and  the  children  of  their  Father  which  is 
in  heaven.  In  three  ways,  pious  men  are 
God's  children. 

1.  By  adoption.  God  finds  them  poor, 
helpless  orphans  and  outcasts ;  and  of  his 
mere  mercy  and  grace,  he  brings  them  into 
his  family.  Thus  they  become  his  sons,  heirs 
of  God  and  joint-heirs  w^ith  Jesus  Christ. 
This  is  a  chief  act  of  God's  love  to  men.  In 
us  there  is  nothing  to  merit  the  divine  esteem. 
Nor  can  we  be  useful  to  God,  as  a  man  is  use- 
ful to  his  fellow.  Out  of  mere  love  and  pity, 
God  gives  us  the  adoption  of  sons. 

2.  The  pious  are  God's  children  by  regener- 
ation.     Men   are   not   Christians   by   being 

3 


26      WORDS  or  TRUTH  AND  LOYE. 

born,  but  by  being  born  again.  We  are  not 
saints  by  creation,  but  by  a  new  creation. 
This  is  a  great  work  wrought  in  us  by  the 
Holy  Ghost.  It  is  all  his  own  work, not  ours. 
He  says,  "I  will  sprinkle  clean  water  upon 
you,  and  ye  shall  be  clean  :  from  all  your  filthi- 
ness,  and  from  all  your  idols  will  I  cleanse 
you.  A  new  heart  also  will  I  give  you,  and 
a  new  spirit  will  I  put  within  you:  and  I  will 
take  away  the  stony  heart  out  of  your  flesh, 
and  I  will  give  you  an  heart  of  flesh.  And  I 
will  put  my  Spirit  within  you,  and  cause  you 
to  walk  in  my  statutes,  and  ye  shall  keep  my 
judgments,  and  do  them."  Ezek.  xxxvi.  25-27. 
Nothing  worse  can  come  on  old  or  young  than 
to  die  without  being  born  again.  We  must 
be  created  anew  in  Christ  Jesus  unto  good 
works,  or  we  must  lie  down  in  sorrow. 

3.  The  pious  are  God's  children  by  imita- 
tion. In  their  measure  they  are  like  God. 
He  is  their  great  pattern.  They  follow  him, 
Jesus  says:  "Love  your  enemies,  bless  them 
which  curse  you,  do  good  to  them  that  hate 
you,  and  pray  for  them  which  despitefully  use 


NAMES    GIVEN    TO    THE    RIGHTEOUS.        27 

you  and  persecute  you ;  that  ye  may  be  the 
children  of  your  Father  which  is  in  heaven  : 
for  he  maketh  his  sun  to  rise  on  the  evil  and 
on  the  good,  and  sendeth  rain  on  the  just  and 
on  the  unjust."  Matt.  v.  44,  45.  It  is  a  great 
thing  to  imitate  God. 

The  pious  are  also  called  children  of  the 
light,  John  xii.  36.  This  name  is  given  to 
them  because  they  have  been  brought  out  of 
darkness  into  the  marvellous  lip:ht  of  the  p-os- 
pel.  They  also  love  the  light,  and  come  to 
the  light,  that  their  deeds  may  be  manifest, 
that  they  are  wrought  in  God.  Above  all, 
they  love  Jesus  Christ,  who  is  the  light  of 
the  world.  All  the  pious  walk  in  the  light 
of  truth,  and  in  the  light  of  hope.  All  the 
light  they  have  comes  from  God  by  the  cross 
and  merits  and  person  of  Jesus  Christ. 

The  pious  are  also  called  the  children  of 
wisdom.  Matt.  xi.  19.  Sometimes  wisdom  is 
one  of  the  names  of  the  Saviour,  who  himself 
calls  his  people  his  children.  John  xxi.  5. 
Jesus  is  the  everlasting  Father,  Isa.  ix.  6,  and 
liis  people  are  his  children.     But  the  phrase 


28      WORDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 

cJiildren  of  wisdom  is  a  Hebrew  form  of  ex- 
pression, and  means  wise  children.  God's 
people  are  so  far  wise  that  they  prefer  eternity 
to  time,  the  soul  to  the  body,  heaven  to  earth, 
and  God  to  all  others.  They  are  wise  in  lay- 
ing up  treasure  in  heaven,  in  forsaking  the 
world,  in  dying  unto  sin,  and  in  living  unto 
God.  All  men,  whether  saved  or  lost,  will 
at  the  last  day  say  that  none  but  the  righteous 
are  truly  wise.  They  are  wise  for  themselves. 
They  are  wise  unto  salvation. 

God's  people  are  called  little  children,  1 
John  iv.  4.  They  are  little  because  they  are 
as  nothing  compared  with  God  their  Father, 
with  Christ  their  Saviour,  or  with  the  Holy 
Spirit,  their  Comforter.  They  are  little  be- 
cause in  themselves  they  are  feeble  and  help- 
less. And  they  are  little  in  their  own  esteem, 
less  than  the  least  of  all  God's  mercies.  And 
then  they  are  like  little  children.  Matt,  xviii, 
3,  Mark  x.  15,  Luke  xviii.  17. 

1.  Little  children  are  docile.  They  do  not 
deny  the  truth  of  what  their  good  parents 
tell  them.     They  are  willing  to  learn.     They 


NAMES    GIVEN   TO    THE    RIGHTEOUS.       29 

cry  after  knowledge,  and  lift  up  their  voice  for 
understanding.  They  buy  the  truth  at  any 
price.  They  often  cry,  Teach  me  thy  statutes, 
O  Lord. 

2.  Little  children  are  humble.  Their  hearts 
are  not  puffed  up  with  pride.  The  little  child 
of  the  king  plays  on  equal  terms  with  the  lit- 
tle child  of  his  nurse.  Like  their  Saviour, 
God's  people  are  lowly.  They  do  not  say  to 
others,  ^'  Stand  by  thyself,  I  am  holier  than 
thou."  They  do  not  trust  in  themselves  that 
they  are  righteous  and  despise  others. 

3.  They  are  meeh  and  not  spiteful.  They 
hate  strife.  It  grieves  them  to  the  heart  to 
contend  with  men.  Not  one  of  them  "  would 
give  an  hour  of  brotherly  love  for  a  whole 
eternity  of  contention." 

4.  Little  children  are  forgiving.  They  do 
not  carry  grudges.  The  sun  does  not  go  down 
upon  their  wrath,  nor  is  their  anger  outrageous. 
So  God's  people  forgive.  Yes,  they  forgive 
and  they  forget. 

And  God's  people  are  little  compared  with 
what  thoy  shall  be,  1  John  iii.  2.     As  Christ 
3  * 


80      WORDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 

in  his  exaltation  differs  very  much  from  Christ 
in  his  humiliation,  not  in  heart  but  in  state. 
not  in  person  but  in  glory,  so  shall  it  be  with 
all  his  people. 

The  righteous  are  also  called  children  of  the 
resurrection,  Luke  xx.  36.  To  them,  not  to 
the  wicked,  it  will  be  a  blessing  to  be  raised 
from  the  dead.  They  will  come  forth  with 
unspeakable  and  everlasting  joy.  They  shall 
have  part  in  the  first  resurrection,  1  Thess.  iv. 
16,  Rev.  XX.  6. 

These  are  a  few  of  the  names  which  God 
gives  to  those  that  love  him.  There  are  many 
others  just  as  precious.  All  of  them  show 
how  loving  the  Lord  is,  and  how  dear  his  peo- 
ple are  to  him. 

Are  we  meet  to  bear  such  names  ?  Do  we 
love  God,  his  law,  his  children,  his  worship  ? 
If  we  die  as  we  now  are,  shall  we  be  saved  ? 

It  is  a  great  thing  to  be  a  child  of  God. 
Nothing  can  harm  such  in  this  world  or  the 
next.  None  can  pluck  them  out  of  the  Sa- 
viour's hand.  They  shall  have  heaven  at 
last,  with  all  its  infinite  blessings. 


HOW    you    MAY    KNOW    A    CHILD.  31 


V. 

HOW  TOU   MAT  KNOW  A    CHTLD. 

Every  child  is  making  for  himself  a  good 
or  a  bad  name.  !N^o  boy  or  girl  walks  abroad 
without  making  some  impression  on  behold- 
ers. In  a  court  of  law  the  character  of  a 
child  could  readily  be  established  by  the 
neighbours.  They  know  who  is  gentle  and 
who  is  fierce,  who  is  mean  and  who  is  noble, 
who  is  modest  and  who  is  impudent,  who  is 
wise  and  who  is  foolish.  You  may  know  a 
child. 

But  you  cannot  know  him  by  his  size. 
There  is  many  a  great,  big  fool,  and  many  a 
sweet,  little  darling.  It  is  very  well  to  be 
tall  and  strong,  if  God  makes  us  so.  But 
King  Saul  who  was  head  and  shoulders  above 
his  nation,  was  a  poor  creature,  while  Saul  of 
Tarsus,  whom  all   tradition   represents  as  a 


32      WORDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 

omall  man,  was  one  of  the  noblest  specimens 
of  human  nature. 

Nor  can  you  know  a  child  by  his  looks. 
Some  children,  who  have  very  homely  faces, 
have  fine  characters  ;  and  some  whose  faces 
are  very  pretty,  show  by  their  conduct  that 
they  have  very  bad  hearts.  When  God  sent 
Samuel  to  anoint  one  of  Jesse's  sons,  that  great 
prophet  thought  that  Eliab  was  the  one  that 
God  had  chosen.  But  he  was  mistaken.  The 
Lord  said  to  him:  ''Look  not  on  his  counte- 
nance, or  on  the  height  of  his  stature;  be- 
cause I  have  refused  him :  for  the  Lord  seeth 
not  as  man  seeth;  for  man  looketh  on  the 
outward  appearance,  but  the  Lord  looketh  on 
the  heart."  Absalom  was  a  fine-looking  man ; 
but  no  man  is  found  to  admire  his  character. 
A  pleasant  face  and  a  right  heart  do  not 
always  go  together. 

Nor  can  you  tell  a  child  by  his  talk.  The 
speech  of  some  children  is  as  smooth  as  but- 
ter; but  the  poison  of  asps  is  under  their  lips. 
They  use  many  fair  words;  but  they  are  guilty 
of  foul  d'eeds.      They  make  great  promises; 


HOW   YOU    MAY   KNOW   A    CHILD.  3S 

but  they  do  not  keep  them.  They  abound 
in  professions,  but  their  practice  is  bad. 
Words  are  cheap.  They  do  not  prove  any- 
thing. 

Nor  can  a  child  be  known  by  his  parents. 
They  may  be  very  worthy  people,  and  yet  he 
may  be  vile  and  wicked.  Sometimes  the  pa- 
rents are  the  evil  ones,  while  their  children 
fear  and  love  God. 

Nor  can  you  tell  a  child  by  his  clothes. 
The  butterfly  is  very  gay  in  its  dress ;  yet  it 
is  nothing  but  a  vile  caterpillar  that  has  lately 
gotten  wings.  The  finest  furs  are  taken  from 
vermin.  Good  clothing  is  a  great  comfort. 
If  we  have  it,  we  should  be  thankful  for  it ; 
but  vice  is  often  clad  in  the  best  suits,  and 
virtue  goes  in  patched  clothes. 

And  yet  a  child  may  be  known ;  yea,  he  is 
known  by  his  doings.  Prov.  xx.  11. 

1.  You  may  know  him  by  the  companions 
he  cJiooses.  A  good  boy  may  be  thrown 
among  bad  ones ;  but  he  does  not  love  to 
mingle  with  them.  A  dear,  sweet  girl  may 
live  for  awhile  with    others  of   an    opposite 


34      WORDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 

character;  but  they  are  not  her  boon  compa- 
nions. But  when  you  see  a  child  willing  to 
be  alone  rather  than  to  go  with  the  wicked, 
find  him  seeking  to  be  with  those  who  are 
kind  and  gentle,  and  fear  God,  there  is  great 
hope  of  him. 

2.  A  child  may  be  known  by  the  books  he 
selects.  If  he  loves  nothing  but  vain  stories, 
or  idle  songs,  there  is  not  much  hope  of  him. 
It  is  a  sad  sign  when  a  child  cares  nothing 
for  sound  knowledge,  and  thinks  every  book 
dull,  if  it  teaches  true  wisdom.  But  we  can- 
not fail  to  expect  good  of  the  child  that  loves 
good  books;  and  especially  the  best  of  all 
books,  the  book  of  books,  the  Bible. 

3.  A  child  may  be  known  by  the  way 
he  acts  in  school.  If  he  is  sly  and  cunning, 
if  he  slights  his  lessons,  if  he  is  rude  to  his 
school-mates,  and  impudent  to  his  teacher; 
then  you  may  know  that  not  much  good 
is  likely  to  come  of  him.  But  if  he  is 
true  and  earnest,  if  he  tries  his  best  every 
day,  if  he  is  respectful  to  his  teacher,  there 
is  not  much  risk  in  being  surety  for  him. 


HOW  YOU   MAY   KNOW   A    CHILD.  35 

4.  You  may  know  a  good  deal  about  a 
child  when  you  see  him  at  play.  If  he  cheats, 
if  he  does  not  play  fairly,  if  he  does  little 
mean  things,  if  he  is  easily  made  angry,  if  he 
is  ready  to  quarrel,  if  he  does  not  stand  up  for 
the  truth,  even  when  it  is  against  him  or  those 
on  his  side;  there  is  great  danger  that  things 
will  not  end  well  with  him.  But  if  he  owns 
up  to  all  that  happens  against  him,  if  when 
he  does  wrong,  he  says  so  in  a  manly  way,  if 
he  finds  his  pleasure  in  being  open  and  truth- 
ful, come  what  will,  then  mark  that  boy.  He 
shall  not  stand  among  mean  men. 

5.  A  child  may  be  known  by  the  way  he 
behaves  in  GocVs  Jioiose.  The  church  is  no 
place  to  sleep  in.  We  should  not  go  there  to 
gaze  idly  about,  much  less  to  whisper,  or  smile, 
or  play.  It  is  a  sin  when  young  people  be- 
have so  that  older  ones  must  reprove  them. 
But  when  a  child  goes  to  God's  house,  listens 
to  what  is  said,  loves  the  truth  and  in  his 
heart  worships  God,  and  thinks  the  Sabbath 
the  best  day  of  the  week;  then  you  may  know 
that  he  is  growing  up  to  be  worth  something. 


36      WORDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 

6.  You  may  often  find  out  a  child  when  he 
is  sich.  If  he  is  peevish,  fretful,  will  not 
take  his  medicine,  is  angry  with  his  kind 
nurse  and  with  his  good  doctor,  and  will  not 
obey  his  parents,  and  lie  in  bed  when  he  ought 
to  do  so,  then  you  may  be  justly  afraid  that 
all  is  not  right  with  him.  But  when  in  sick- 
ness, he  makes  the  best  of  every  thing,  and 
does  not  willingly  give  needless  trouble,  but 
is  quiet  and  gentle,  then  you  may  think  well 
of  him. 


CHILDREN  SHOULD  KNOW  THE  SCRIPTURES.    37 


VI. 

CTLITjDMEN  SSOJJIjJ)  know  the  SCItlFTTTMES, 

"The  Bible  is  a  lake  along  the  shores  of 
which  a  lamb  may  wade ;  but  in  the  midst  of 
it  an  elephant  may  swim."  In  the  Scriptures 
is  milk  for  babes,  as  well  as  meat  for  strong 
men.  The  Bible  is  full  of  things  that  suit 
children.  It  tells  them  of  God,  and  of  duty, 
of  sin  and  of  its  fruits,  of  heaven  and  of  hell. 
It  abounds  in  stories  well  suited  to  impress 
truth  on  the  mind  and  heart.  It  tells  of  the 
love  of  God  in  giving  his  Son  Jesus  Christ  to 
die  for  poor  sinners.  It  inspires  salutary  hopes 
and  fears.  It  rids  us  of  such  as  are  idle.  It 
is  the  word  of  God  which  liveth  and  abideth 
forever.  Children  ought  to  know  the  Scrip- 
tures. 

I.  It  is  the  duty  of  parents  to  teach  God's 
word.  Of  course  it  is  the  duty  of  children 
to  learn  it.     Hear  what  God  says : 

4 


38      WORDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 

"These  words  which  I  command  thee  this 
day,  shall  be  in  thine  heart :  and  thou  shalt 
teach  them  diligently  unto  thy  children,  and 
shalt  talk  of  them  when  thou  sittest  in  thine 
house,  and  when  thou  walkest  by  the  way,  and 
when  thou  liest  down,  and  when  thou  risest 
up.  And  thou  shalt  bind  them  for  a  sign 
upon  thine  hand,  and  they  shall  be  as  front- 
lets between  thine  eyes.  And  thou  shalt 
write  them  upon  the  posts  of  thine  house,  and 
on  thy  gates."  Deut.  vi.  6-9.  So  that  noth- 
ing is  clearer  than  that  children  are  to  be 
familiarly  and  carefully  instructed  in  the 
Scriptures. 

II.  One  of  the  most  useful  preachers  in  the 
days  of  Paul  was  Timothy.  His  father  was 
a  Greek;  his  mother  was  a  Jewess.  This 
young  minister  did  and  suffered  much  for  the 
gospel.  He  was  very  useful.  He  loved  Paul 
and  Paul  loved  him.  The  faith  and  prayers 
and  teachings  of  Timothy's  mother  and  grand- 
mother were  honored  as  the  means  of  his  sal- 
vation. They  did  not  put  oif  teaching  him 
^ill  sin   and   ignorance   had  made  his  heart 


CHILDREN  SHOULD  KNOW  THE  SCRIPTURES.    39 

hard.  No!  Paul  says  to  him,  "  From  a  child 
thou  hast  known  the  Holy  Scriptures,  which 
are  able  to  make  thee  wise  unto  salvation 
through  faith  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus."  2 
Tim.  iii.  15.  One  of  the  best  ways  to  train 
up  a  right  sort  of  Christians  and  ministers  is 
to  teach  them  God's  Word  when  they  are 
young. 

III.  Jesus  himself  said,  '^  Search  the  Scrip- 
tures ;  for  in  them  ye  think  ye  have  eternal 
life :  and  they  are  they  w^iich  testify  of  me." 
John  V.  39.  When  Christ  thus  spake,  there 
were  no  Scriptures,  but  those  books  which  we 
now  call  The  Old  Testament,  in  which  are 
many  things  dark  and  difficult.  Surely  the 
New  Testament  is  more  clear  than  the  old. 
Yet  Jesus  said.  Search  the  Scriptures,  If  men 
had  believed  Moses,  they  would  have  believed 
Christ.  John  v.  46. 

Many  other  things  prove  that  it  is  the  duty 
of  all  to  learn  God's  will  as  made  known  in 
the  Bible. 

But  if  children  would  know  the  Scriptures 
so  as  to  be  wise   unto   salvation,  they  must 


40      WORDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 

have  a  right  spirit.  This  can  come  from  God 
only.  Many  who  know  the  truth  wickedly 
trifle  with  it.     Let  us  then: 

1.  Greatly  fear  God.  When  the  lion  roars, 
the  lesser  animals  are  said  to  keep  silence.  If 
the  king  of  the  forest  is  thus  feared,  surely 
the  voice  of  the  King  of  kings  should  make 
us  afraid.  Let  us  serve  God  with  reverence 
and  with  godly  fear. 

2.  Let  our  fear  be  mingled  with  love — a 
love  that  brings  us  nigh  to  God,  that  holds 
him  fast,  and  will  not  let  him  go.  Mere  fear 
will  drive  us  away  from  the  Most  High,  and 
mere  love  will  sink  into  fondness ;  but  love 
and  fear  united  will  keep  us  in  a  right  state. 

3.  Then  we  must  think  of  what  we  learn. 
We  must  con  it  over  and  over  again.  Chil- 
dren are  bound  to  reflect.  Their  minds  were 
given  them  for  that  end.  If  God  shall  ever 
save  us,  he  will  put  us  to  thinking  on  the 
truth  and  on  his  claims  upon  us. 

4.  If  we  would  learn  aright,  we  must  pray. 
He  who  made  us  can  rightly  teach  us.  If  he 
loves  us,  he  will  certainly  not  give  us  up  to 


CHILDREN"  SHOULD  KNOW  THE  SCRIPTURES.  41 

folly.  His  promise  to  the  church  is  :  "  All 
thy  children  shall  be  taught  of  the  Lord.'' 
Isa.  liv.  13.  Let  children  learn  to  pray. 
Light  and  life  come  from  God. 

5.  Children  should  believe  all  that  God 
says.  In  young  or  old,  unbelief  is  very 
wicked.  Without  faith  it  is  impossible  to 
please  God.  The  Bible  is  not  a  book  of 
dreams,  or  of  fables.  It  is  full  of  truth  which 
we  are  bound  to  love. 

6.  Children  should  practise  what  they  learn. 
Practice  makes  perfect.  He  that  does  as  well 
as  he  knows  will  know  better  and  better. 

If  any  child  has  no  Bible  of  his  own,  let 
him  ask  for  one,  or  let  him  sell  all  his  toys 
and  buy  one.  Let  him  keep  it  with  care. 
Let  him  read  it  daily.  It  is  better  to  lack 
anything  else  than  to  be  without  God's  word. 

It  is  a  solemn   thing  to  have  a  chance  to 

know  the  truths  of  the  Bible,  and  yet  not  to 

learn   them;    or   to    know    what    the    Bible 

teaches,  and  yet  have  no  heart  to  do  it.     In 

the  day  of  judgment  it  will  be  better  to  have 
4  » 


42      WORDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 

been  a  poor  heathen,  who  never  heard  of 
Christ  than  to  have  been  born  in  a  Christian 
land,  and  to  have  lived  and  died  in  sin.  To 
every  child  God  says,  "Give  me  thy  heart." 
We  ought  to  know  and  love  and  serve  the 
great  and  good  Being  that  made  us.  He  has 
a  right  to  our  hearts.  It  is  very  wicked  not 
to  know  and  love  God  and  Jesus  Christ  whom 
he  has  sent. 

The  Bible  can  teach  children  how  to  live. 
It  is  a  light  that  shineth  in  darkness.  It 
shows  us  the  way  in  which  we  should  walk. 
It  has  lit  up  the  path  of  thousands. 

Then,  too,  it  can  help  us  to  die.  Its  truths 
have  cheered  many  a  child  about  to  bid  fare- 
well to  earth.  In  a  heathen  land,  a  few  years 
since,  a  boy  died  happily  among  strangers. 
A  missionary  coming  to  the  town,  wdiere  his 
body  was  a  corpse,  heard  of  him,  and  asked 
the  people  what  he  said  and  did.  They  told 
him  that  the  boy  talked  of  one  Jesus,  and  had 
a  little  book  which  he  pressed  to  his  bosom, 
and  asked  that  it  might  be  put  under  his  head, 
when  he  was  buried.    The  little  book  was  one 


CHILDREN  SHOULD  KNOW  THE  SCRIPTURES.   43 

of  the  Gospels.  Jesus  did  not  forsake  the 
poor  little  boy  dying  among  strangers.  A 
thousand  times  he  has  helped  little  children 
to  die. 


44      WOEDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 


VII. 

FAITH  IK   CHRIST. 

Teue  faith  is  a  great  gift  of  God.  It  is  a 
precious  grace.  By  it  is  the  life  of  the  soul. 
It  is  a  rich  fruit  of  Christ's  mediation.  He 
is  its  Author  and  Finisher.  He  is  its  cause 
and  its  object.  The  agent  who  works  faith  in 
us  is  the  Holy  Spirit.  He  glorifies  Christ  by 
bringing  us  to  put  all  our  trust  in  him. 

What  is  faith  in  Christ?  AVhat  does  one 
do  when  he  believes  on  the  Son  of  God  ?  On 
this  point  many  err.  The  learned  and  the 
ignorant  may  here  make  a  sad  mistake.  The 
matter  is  of  great  weight.  Let  every  one  be 
candid  with  his  own  soul. 

Sometimes  faith  is  called  coming  to  Christ 
Jesus  himself  so  speaks  of  it:  "Come  unto 
me,  all  ye  that  labour  and  are  heavy-laden^ 
and  I  will  give  you  rest;"  "Him  that  cometh 


FAITH    IN    CHRIST.  45 

to  me  I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out."  To 
cr)me  to  Christ  is  to  have  such  a  state  of  heart 
as  would  lead  one,  if  Christ  were  on  earth,  to 
come  to  him  in  person,  and  ask  him  for  grace 
and  mercy  on  his  own  terms.  One  poor 
woman  came  to  him  very  stealthily,  she  was 
very  much  afraid,  but  she  came  and  touched 
him  and  got  the  blessing.  The  Canaanitish 
woman  came  with  a  very  low  esteem  of  her- 
self, but  she  was  not  offended  in  Christ. 
Nothing  could  drive  her  away  from  him.  So 
we  must  feel  as  these  women  did.  It  is  right 
for  us  to  have  a  deep  sense  of  our  sins,  but 
we  must  rely  on  Christ. 

Sometimes  faith  is  called  looking  to  Christ, 
"Look  unto  me,  and  be  ye  saved,  all  the  ends 
of  the  earth :  for  I  am  God,  and  there  is  none 
else;"  "They  shall  look  upon  me  whom  they 
have  pierced ;"  "  Run  with  patience  the  race 
that  is  set  before  us,  looking  unto  Jesus." 
Of  old  the  Israelites,  bitten  by  the  fiery  ser- 
pent, were  bidden  to  direct  their  eyes  to  the 
brazen  serpent;  and  as  many  as  looked  were 
healed.  "And  as  Moses  lifted  up  the  serpent  in 


46      WORDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 

the  wilderness,  even  so  must  the  Son  of  man 
be  lifted  up:  that  whosoever  believeth  in  him 
should  not  perish,  but  have  eternal  life."  Chil- 
dren, do  you  hear  that?  Is  it  not  good  news? 
Did  you  ever  hear  better  ? 

To  have  faith  in  Christ  is  to  receive  him. 
Thus  Zaccheus  received  him  not  only  civilly 
as  his  guest,  and  kindly  as  his  countryman, 
but  joyfully  as  his  Saviour.  Christ  is  freely 
offered,  and  we  gladly  take  him  as  offered. 
He  is  held  out  to  us  in  the  gospel,  and  we  lay 
hold  of  him  as  the  Lord  our  righteousness,  as 
the  true  God  and  eternal  life,  as  all  our  salva- 
tion. "As  many  as  received  him,  to  them 
gave  he  power  to  become  the  sons  of  God, 
even  to  them  that  believe  on  his  name." 

Again,  faith  in  Christ  is  spoken  of  as  fleeing 
to  him.  We  flee  from  our  sins  and  from  the 
avenging  wrath  of  God  to  lay  hold  on  the 
hope  set  before  us  in  the  gospel.  Christ  is 
our  city  of  refuge.  In  him  we  are  safe  from 
the  flaming  sword  of  justice.  He  is  our 
hiding-place  from  the  tempest,  our  covert 
from   the  storm.     We  run  to  him,  and  his 


FAITH   IN    CHRIST.  47 

blood  atones  for  us,  his  righteousness  covers 
lis,  his  grace  is  sufficient  for  us,  his  interces- 
sion avails  for  us.  In  him  we  can  never  be 
reached  by  the  destroyer. 

Those  that  have  faith  in  Christ  rest  in  him. 
Their  faith  reposes  on  him.  They  lean  upon 
him.  "In  whom  ye  also  trusted,  after  that 
ye  heard  the  word  of  truth."  This  true  faith 
in  Christ  has  some  remarkable  characteristics. 

1.  It  refuses  all  other  helps,  hopes,  refuges 
and  mediators.  It  divides  not  its  love  and 
confidence  between  Christ  and  a  host  of  others, 
or  any  other.  "Thou  must  save,  and  thou 
alone."  To  look  elsewhere  is  inconsistent  with 
reliance  upon  him.  He  saves  wholly,  or  not 
at  all.  His  blood  may  not  be  mingled  with 
our  suiferings,  nor  his  tears  with  our  anguish, 
nor  his  merits  with  our  deservings.  "  There 
is  none  other  name  under  heaven  given  among 
men,  whereby  we  must  be  saved."  "Other 
foundation  can  no  man  lay."  Build  on  the 
Rock,  or  not  at  all. 

2.  Genuine  faith  is  not  temporary,  but  lasts 
and  holds  on   its  way.     It  cleaves  to  Christ 


48      WORDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 

through  good  and  through  evil  report.  It 
holds  him  fast,  and  will  not  let  him  go.  It 
will  even  bear  tortures,  not  accepting  deliver- 
ance purchased  by  a  denial  of  faith  in  him. 
It  will  walk  in  darkness,  and  yet  trust.  It 
will  cover  itself  with  sackcloth  and  ashes,  and 
cry,  Unclean ;  but  it  will  not  renounce  Christ. 
It  is  not  only  exclusive,  it  is  also  firm. 

3.  It  enlists  all  the  affections.  ^'With  the 
heart  man  believeth  unto  righteousness." 
Devils  believe,  but  not  with  the  heart.  "The 
act  of  faith  is  not  in  the  brain,  but  in  the 
heart." 

4.  Genuine  faith  therefore  purifies  the  heart. 
It  begets  strong  desires  after  holiness.  It 
leads  the  soul  to  Christ,  who  is  our  sanctifica- 
tion  as  well  as  our  righteousness.  It  begets 
the  deepest  aversion  to  sin.  When  tempted 
it  cries,  "  How  can  I  do  this  great  wickedness, 
and  sin  against  God  ?"*  In  the  eyes  of  be- 
lievers, sin  is  exceeding  sinful,  and  holiness 
very  lovely. 

5.  True  faith  in  Christ  also  works  by  love. 
It  draws  its  chief  motives    from  the  divine 


FAITH    IN    CHRIST.  49 

love.  It  awakens  the  affection  of  love  in  the 
soul.  It  says,  "  Behold  what  manner  of  love 
the  Father  hath  bestowed  on  us,"  and  then  it 
gives  him  all  that  it  has,  or  is,  or  hopes  to  be. 
6.  It  also  gains  and  keeps  the  ascendency 
over  the  things  of  time.  "  This  is  the  victory 
that  overcometh  the  world,  even  our  faith." 
Faith  looks  not  at  things  which  are  seen  and 
temporal,  but  at  things  unseen  and  eternal. 
It  draws  its  strength  and  firmness  from  the 
sight  of  things  invisible — from  an  unseen  Sa- 
viour, an  unseen  heaven,  and  an  unseen  eter- 
nity. 

It  is  not  strange  that  true  Christians  make 
much  of  faith.  The  Bible  does  the  same. 
"  He  that  believeth  shall  be  saved."  "  Believe 
on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  thou  shalt  be 
saved."  "  This  is  the  work  of  God  that  ye 
believe  on  him  whom  he  hath  sent."  "This 
is  his  commandment,  That  we  should  believe 
on  the  name  of  his  Son,  Jesus  Christ." 

Whoever  truly  believes  is  sure  to  love  God 
and  all  his  word,  his  worship  and  his  people. 


50      WORDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 

Faith  is  never  alone.  It  is  only  one  of  the 
Christian  graces,  but  it  is  a  great  grace. 

Whoever  thus  believes  shall  be  saved. 
Faith  unites  to  Christ. 

Want  of  faith  is  a  great  sin.  God  abhors 
unbelief.  It  is  the  master  sin  of  the  human 
heart.  It  heeds  and  fosters  all  wickedness. 
No  sin  is  alone ;  but  the  want  of  faith  is  the 
parent  of  all  sins.  If  this  sin  were  renounced, 
others  could  not  reign.  How  many  Israelites 
through  unbelief  perished  in  the  wilderness. 
"  He  that  believeth  not  shall  be  damned." 

It  is  a  glad  truth  that  Christ  is  now  ready 
t )  receive  sinners.  The  door  is  open.  Oh 
come  to  Christ.  Children  as  truly  need  his 
grace  as  do  old  people.  Christ  is  as  truly 
ready  to  receive  them  as  to  receive  their  pa- 
rents. Come  to  Christ.  There  is  no  other 
way  of  escape.  "  Faith  is,  to  the  lost  sinner, 
what  the  life-boat  is  to  the  shipwrecked  sailor, 
dashing  among  the  breakers — his  only  means 
of  escape  from  certain  death."  Oh,  enter  the 
life-boat.  Now  is  your  time.  If  you  refuse, 
your  blood  will  be  upon  yourself. 


A   VISIT  TO   MY   OLD   HOME.  51 


VIII. 

A  VISIT  TO  MT  OLD  MOME. 

Some  years  ago,  I  went  to  see  some  of  my 
kin.  They  lived  where  I  had  spent  most  of 
my  childhood.  A  thousand  thoughts  rushed 
on  my  mind  as  I  passed  over  the  walks  of  my 
early  life.  The  houses  were  not  near  so  high, 
nor  the  streets  so  wide  as  I  had  once  thought 
them.  Trees  that  I  had  planted  with  my  own 
hands  had  grown  old  and  died.  The  grave- 
yard was  sadly  filled  up.  I  sat  down  and 
thought  thus : 

How  short  is  life  !  It  is  a  vapour,  a  sha- 
dow, a  tale  that  is  told.  Fifty  years  have 
passed  since  I  roamed  over  these  fields,  and 
bathed  in  these  waters,  and  yet  that  whole 
time  seems  like  a  dream.  All  flesh  is  grass. 
Most  of  the  t;omi)anions  of  my  early  life  have 
already   gone   beyond   the   bounds   of   time. 


62      WORDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 

Soon  earth  will  know  none  of  us  any  more 
forever.* 

How  certain  is  death.  None  escape.  The 
young  and  healthy  may  die;  the  old  and 
sickly  must.  None  can  long  withstand  the 
assaults  of  disease.  The  grave-yard  has  filled 
up  wonderfully. 

How  fixed  are  the  principles  of  God's  go- 
vernment. He  never  changes  them.  It  is  as 
true  now  as  ever  before,  that  bloody  and  de- 
ceitful men  shall  not  live  out  half  their  days; 
that  those  who  honour  father  and  mother  shall 
be  greatly  blessed  on  earth,  that  the  hand  of 
the  diligent  maketh  rich;  that  he  that  is  surety 
for  a  stranger  shall  smart  for  it.  Indeed, 
every  principle  of  God's  government  remains 
unchanged. 

How  surely  truth  will  triumph  at  last.  I 
have  seen  many  forsaken,  slandered,  and 
scorned,  outliving  all  their  enemies,  and  by 
well-doing  putting  to  silence  the  ignorance 
of  foolish   men.     Well  did  good  old  Boston 

*  "Time,"  said  a  deaf  mute,  "is  aline  that  has  two  ends 
— a  path  w'lich  begins  in  the  cradle  and  ends  in  the  tomb." 


A   VISIT    TO    MY    OLD    HOME.  53 

say :  "  Leave  your  character  where  you  have 
trusted  your  soul ;  your  Maker  will  take  care 
of  both."  Silent  and  quiet  endurance  of  re- 
vilings  is  better  than  all  heated  and  fierce  con- 
tentions. 

How  vain  a  pursuit  is  wealth.  It  brings 
misery  to  its  devotee  and  to  his  offspring.  I 
know  no  more  mournful  histories  than  those 
connected  with  greediness  of  gain.  I  think 
it  is  John  Owen,  who  somewhere  says, 
"There  is  nothing  given  us  in  more  strict 
charge  in  the  Scripture,  than  that  we  should 
be  careful  for  nothing,  solicitous  about  noth- 
ing, take  no  thought  for  to-morrow,  but 
commit  all  thing's  unto  the  sovereio-n  dis- 
posal  of  God  our  Father,  who  has  taken  all 
these  things  into  his  own  care."  It  is  idle 
to  pretend  that  we  have  given  all  to  God, 
when  we  are  so  eager  to  manage  them  our- 
selves. 

A  life  of  self-denial  was  never  more  sure 
than  in  this  age  to  do  good.  A  little  work 
done  in  the  right  way  tells  for  a  long  time. 
A  poor  child  taught  in  the  right  way,  a  good 

5  « 


54      WORDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 

institution  founded  in  a  small  way  grows. 
When  I  was  young' I  felt  like  transplanting 
trees.  I  have  quit  that  and  gone  to  planting 
acorns.  We  may  be  poor,  yet  make  many 
rich.  Great  usefulness  follows,  not  great 
talents,  or  great  donations,  but  great  self- 
denial.  Christ  saved  the  world  by  suffering. 
No  man  has  been  distinguished  for  usefulness, 
who  was  not  remarkable  for  sufferings,  for 
voluntary  self-denial. 

How  priceless  is  a  good  name.  To  men 
themselves  and  to  their  posterity  it  is  better 
than  great  riches.  It  outlives  its  possessor 
and  his  children.  Let  one  go  over  any  com- 
munity, which  he  knew  a  quarter  of  a  cen- 
tury ago,  and  he  will  know  what  is  here 
meant. 

How  wise  it  is  to  fear  God  and  to  teach  all 
around  us  to  do  the  same.  Nothing,  as  an 
element  of  education  or  of  self-government, 
is  sufficient,  if  men  despise  the  authority  of 
God. 

How  strangely  the  world  is  ruled  by  little 
things     I  think  it  was  Alice  Carey,  who  said, 


A   VISIT   TO    MY   OLD    HOME.  55 

"liittle  drops  of  rain  brighten  the  meadows, 
and  little  acts  of  kindness  brighten  the  world." 
Eternity  is  made  up  of  successive  points  in 
duration. 

And  how  soon  earthly  joy  and  pomp  and 
vanity  will  all  be  gone.  "I  have  seen  the 
wicked  in  great  power,  and  spreading  him- 
self like  a  green  bay-tree.  Yet  he  passed  away, 
and  lo,  he  was  not,  yea,  I  sought  him,  but  he 
could  not  be  found." 

How  soon  the  sorrows  of  the  just  will  be 
over.  The.  greatest  sufferers  I  ever  knew 
have  long  been  at  rest.  They  wept  on  the 
mountains  of  Zion.  They  shout  in  the  streets 
of  the  new  Jerusalem. 

How  rapidly  our  opportunities  of  useful- 
ness to  ourselves  and  others  are  passing  away. 
Oh  that  we  had  grace  to  improve  them  as 
they  come.  "Our  opportunities,  like  our 
souls,  are  very  precious ;  but  if  they  are  lost, 
they  are  irrecoverably  lost."  How  many, 
whom  I  might  once  have  warned,  are  forever 
beyond  the  calls  of  the  gospel. 

How  the  whole  coast  of  time  is  strewed 


56  WORDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 

with  wrecks.  One  is  ruined  by  drink,  ano- 
ther by  bad  company,  another  by  idleness, 
another  by  skepticism,  another  by  lying,  ano- 
ther by  lewdness. 

How  humility  stands  the  test.  It  boasts 
not.  It  vaunts  not  itself.  It  loves  retire- 
ment, as  the  violet  loves  the  shade.  "Though 
civility  teaches  us  to  call  others  by  their 
highest  titles,  yet  humility  teaches  us  to  call 
ourselves  by  the  lowest."  "He  that  hum- 
bleth  himself  shall  be  exalted." 

How  priceless  a  blessing  is  love.  It  warms 
the  heart  in  which  it  dwells.  It  blesses  all 
around  it.  "Like  spring  flowers,  it  breaks 
through  the  most  frozen  ground  at  last."  It 
makes  many  happy.  A  family  brought  up 
in  snappish,  snarlish  ways,  will  live  in  wretch- 
edness, and  comes  to  naught. 

It  is  safe  to  obey  any  call  of  duty,  to  take 
up  any  cross,  endure  any  reproach,  follow  any 
lawful  calling.  Those  men  at  the  top  were 
not  long  since  at  the  bottom,  but  however 
situated,  they  did  their  duty,  and  the  blessing 
followed. 


A   VISIT    TO    MY    OLD    HOME.  57 

What  a  poor  thing  is  a  pompous,  vain  pro- 
fession of  Christianity.  Piety,  which  does  not 
rule  us,  will  not  save  us.  If  there  is  in  our 
hearts  and  lives  no  difference  between  us  and 
sinners,  there  will  be  no  difference  between 
us  and  them  in  doom  and  destiny. 

What  a  priceless  boon  is  youth.  As  men 
and  women  are  at  fifty,  so  were  they  at  fifteen, 
is  generally  true.  Good  and  bad  qualities  are 
always  developing  themselves. 

How  weak  are  the  moral  principles  of  many. 
Walpole  said,  ^' Every  man  has  his  price." 
This  is  not  always  so.  Yet  many  are  badly 
sold.  '^ Those,  who  fancy  that  money  can  do 
anything,  are  generally  prepared  to  do  every- 
thing for  money."  In  her  journal  Eliza  Cook 
says,  that  they  who  are  honest,  only  because 
honesty  is  the  best  policy,  are  half  way  to 
being  rogues.  What  small  temptations  have 
ruined  those  of  my  acquaintance,  who  have 
lost  all. 

Who  understand  the  power  of  education? 
That  poor  creature,  now  suffering  from  ennui 
and  chagrin,  full  of    suspicion  and    malice, 


5S  WOEDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 

was  by  her  parents  trained  to  think  display 
the  end  of  existence.  That  young  man,  who 
was  petted,  indulged,  taught  to  swagger  about 
honour,  and  to  make  high  pretensions  to  the 
character  of  a  gentleman,  is  now  hardly  a  fit 
companion  for  the  dogs  of  his  neighbour's 
flock.     He  was  spoiled  in  the  rearing. 

True  religion  is  full  of  unfailing  resources. 
That  alone  is  enough.  Its  triumphs  among 
many  of  my  old  friends  have  been  as  remark- 
able as  in  the  case  of  Payson,  who  when  suf- 
fering great  pain  just  before  death,  said,  '^Oh, 
what  a  blessed  thing  it  is  to  lose  one's  will ! 
Since  I  have  lost  my  will,  I  have  found  hap- 
piness. There  can  be  no  such  thing  as  disap- 
pointment to  me,  for  I  have  no  desires  but 
that  God's  will  may  be  accomplished." 

What  a  Saviour  we  have  in  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ!  How  wisdom  and  tenderness,  power 
and  love,  grace  and  truth,  shine  out  in  him. 
"  He  is  still  in  office  for  us ;  he  pleads  our 
cause  before  his  Father;  he  rules  the  universe 
for  our  welfare;  and  he  teaches  us  wisdom." 
Blessed  one !  how  we  ought  to  love  him. 


A  VISIT  TO  MY  OLD  no:\rE.  59 

If  we  are  in  Christ,  what  a  blessed  meetincr 
we  shall  soon  have  with  all  the  redeemed  in 
glory.  Many  of  the  best  friends  I  ever  had 
are  gone  before  me.  I  sympathize  with  good 
old  Richard  Baxter  when  he  says :  "  I  mnst 
confess,  as  the  experience  of  my  own  soul, 
that  the  expectation  of  loving  my  friends  in 
heaven  principally  kindles  my  love  to  them 
while  on  earth.  If  I  thought  I  should  never 
know  them,  and  consequently  never  love  them 
after  this  life  is  ended,  I  should  number  them 
with  temporal  things,  and  love  them  as  sucli ; 
but  I  now  converse  with  my  pious  friends  in 
a  firm  persuasion  that  I  shall  converse  with 
them  forever  ;  I  take  comfort  in  those  that 
are  dead  or  absent,  believing  that  I  shall 
shortly  meet  them  in  -heaven,  and  love  them 
with  a  heavenly  love."  It  would  be  easy  to 
make  out  a  list  of  such  old  friends  large 
enough  to  cover  many  pages.  Their  memory 
is  precious.  I  hope  soon  to  see  them,  and 
unite  with  them  in  singing  the  song  of  Moses 
and  the  Lamb,  . 


60     WORDS  or  TRUTH  AND  LOVB. 


IX. 

DO  ALJL   THE,  GOOD   TOU  CAK. 

Don't  say  that  you  cannot  do  much,  and 
therefore  you  will  do  nothing.  Keep  trying. 
Work  away.  The  ants  are  little  things,  but 
in  some  parts  of  the  world,  they  build  great 
houses  for  themselves.  Very  little  w^orms 
sometimes  eat  up  a  large  forest.  The  ocean 
is  made  up  of  drops  of  water  and  the  world 
of  grains  of  sand.  Any  good  little  child  can 
make  glad  a  father  or  mother,  and  that  is  a 
great  thing.  I  have  known  a  dear  little  child 
not  five  years  old  to  soothe  the  throbbing, 
aching  head  of  its  mother. 

Every  one  can  do  something.  This  is  pro- 
ven in  many  ways.  I  will  tell  you  a  true 
story. 

As  one  travels  westward  from  Pittsburgh 
towards  Chicago,  he  will  find,  from  Wayne 


DO   ALL   THE    GOOD   YOU    CAN.  61 

County,  Ohio,  to  Fort  Wayne,  Indiana,  tradi- 
tions of  a  singular  man,  known  now  as  for- 
merly by  the  name  of  "  Sammy  Appleseed." 
He  wore  no  hat,  and  seldom,  if  ever,  wore 
shoes.  His  clothing  was  mean  and  scant.  He 
was  not  known  to  have  any  kindred  in  the 
land.  He  spent  his  time  partly  among  the 
Indians  and  partly  among  the  whites.  He 
was  hardly  half-witted.  He  w^as  entirely 
harmless.  He  was  an  enemy  to  no  one.  Xo 
one  was  an  enemy  to  him.  He  travelled  a 
great  deal,  usually  with  a  bag  on  his  shoulder. 
At  the  time  of  making  cider,  he  commonly 
went  into  Eastern  Pennsylvania.  He  would 
then  carefully  gather  a  peck  or  more  of  apple- 
seeds,  and  start  for  the  West.  The  severe 
weather  of  winter  he  generally  spent  in  the 
w^hite  settlements,  but  early  in  the  spring  he 
was  off  for  the  wilderness.  He  was  familiar 
with  the  trails  of  the  country,  and  could  find 
his  way  to  the  Indian  towns.  Wherever  he 
went  he  carried  his  bag  of  apple-seeds.  Where- 
ever  he  found  a  fit  opening,  he  would  plant 
some  of  them.  This  he  did  not  only  at  the 
6 


62      WORDS  OF  TRUTH  AKD  LOVE. 

old  deserted  villages,  but  also  at  the  inhabited 
towns  of  the  savages.  Sometimes  he  would 
get  a  promise  that  the  weeds  and  grass  should 
be  kept  from  smothering  the  young  trees. 
But  usually  they  had  to  take  their  chance 
for  life. 

Thus,  for  a  space  of  two  hundred  miles  in 
length  and  forty  or  fifty  miles  in  breadth,  this 
simple  man  produced  some  of  the  first  signs 
of  advancing  civilization.  When  the  white 
people  moved  into  the  wilderness,  they  found 
nurseries  of  apple-trees,  neither  pruned  nor 
grafted,  but  ready  to  be  transplanted.  In 
some  cases  they  Avere  already  bearing  fruit, 
which,  mellowed  by  age,  became  delicious. 

Sammy  has  been  dead  for  many  years ; 
but  for  generations  to  come  he  will  be  spoken 
of  as  a  benefactor  to  a  large  district  of  coun- 
try. He  did  what  he  could  for  the  comfort 
of  the  red  man  and  of  the  white  man.  Hav- 
ing no  bad  designs,  he  was  neither  suspicious 
nor  suspected.  Though  his  life  was  often  in 
jeopardy,  he  was  kept  alive.  In  his  labours 
he  found  his  happiness.     He  had  his  reward. 


DO    ALL    THE    OxOOD    YOU    CAN.  63 

In  tlie  labours  of  this  man,  every  child 
may  learn  a  lesson.  All  who  read  these  pages 
probably  have  as  much  mind  as  Sammy  had. 
They  ought  to  try  as  hard  to  do  good.  If 
they  humbly  look  to  God  for  strength,  their 
labour  shall  not  be  in  vain  in  the  Lord. 

Coming  generations  will  bless  them,  and 
bless  God  for  them.  Little  Samuel  serving 
God  in  the  temple  and  doing  as  God  and  Eli 
bade  him,  is  mentioned  witli  more  honour 
than  all  the  Pharaohs  of  Egypt. 

Let  none  of  us  live  to  himself.  Let  us 
continually  scatter  good  seeds.  By  and  by 
they  wdll  bear  good  fruit.  All  that  we  now 
enjoy  is  the  result  of  something  done  for  us 
by  others,  perhaps  by  others  long  since  dead. 
Of  those  who  stand  in  their  lot  and  do  their 
best  for  the  good  of  man  and  the  glory  of 
God,  we  may  say,  as  a  modern  poet  says  of 
great  men: 

Lives  of  great  men  all  remind  us 

We  can  make  our  lives  sublime, 
And,  departing,  leave  behind  us 

Footprints  on  the  sands  of  time — 


64      WORDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 

Footprints  that  perhaps  another, 

Sailing  o'er  life's  solemn  main, 
A  forlorn  and  shipwrecked  brother, 

Seeing,  shall  take  heart  again. 

Let  us  then  be  up  and  doing. 

With  a  heart  for  every  fate  ; 
Still  achieving,  still  pursuing, 

Learn  to  labour  and  to  wait. 

They  that  sow  in  tears  shall  reap  in  joy. 
In  due  time  we  shall  reap  if  we  faint  not. 
Let  us  have  long  patience  and  wait  for  the 
precious  fruits  of  the  earth. 


THE  CHILD  THAT  WAS  READY  TO  PERISH.   65 


X. 

THE  CHILD   THAT  WAS  READY  TO   PERISH. 

The  Either  of  Ishmael  was  Abraham.  His 
mother's  name  was  Hagar,  the  Egyptian. 
Troubles  arose  in  Abraham's  family.  Sarah, 
the  mother  of  Isaac  said  to  Abraham,  Cast 
out  this  bond- woman,  and  her  son :  for  the 
son  of  this  bond-woman  shall  not  be  heir  with 
my  son,  even  with  Isaac.  This  made  Abra- 
ham very  sad.  But  God  said.  Of  the  son  of 
the  bond- woman  will  I  make  a  nation,  be- 
cause he  is  thy  seed.  Hagar  left  Abraham's 
house  w^ith  a  heavy  heart  and  with  a  bottle  of 
water.  After  a  while,  the  water  gave  out,  and 
Hagar  cast  her  child  under  one  of  the  shrubs. 
And  she  went,  and  sat  down  over  against  him 
a  good  way  off,  that  she  might  not  see  him 
die.     She  was  sad  and  wept  aloud,  and  so  did 

her  son.     And  God  heard  the   voice  of  the 
6  * 


66  WORDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 

lad  and  sent  an  angel  to  comfort  him  and  his 
mother.  He  also  promised,  I  will  make  him 
a  great  nation.  And  God  was  with  the  lad  ; 
and  he  grew,  and  dwelt  in  the  wilderness,  and 
became  an  archer.  He  also  married  an  Egyp- 
tian and  became  famous  in  his  day  as  a  man 
of  the  woods. 

From  him  have  descended  a  very  numerous 
people,  who  have  long  borne  the  name  of 
Arabians.  From  the  days  of  Ishmael  there 
has  been  a  wild  romance  in  the  history  and 
character  of  this  people.  To  this  day,  many 
of  them  lead  a  wandering  life.  Soon  after 
the  ascension  of  Christ  to  heaven,  many  Arabs 
embraced  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus.  There 
were  zealous  Christians  among  them.  After 
a  while  these  converts  became  very  corrupt. 
Then  there  arose  a  great  impostor,  Moham- 
med. From  that  time  their  history  has  been 
full  of  the  most  painful  interest.  Their  deeds 
contain  the  strongest  exhibitions  of  temper 
and  principle.  This  is  owing  to  two  causes  : 
the  natund  character  of  the  people;  and  the  in- 
^uence  of  their  system  of  religious  belief.     It 


THE  CHILD  THAT  WAS  READY  TO  PERISH.  67 

may  be  interesting  to  the  reader  to  have  some 
of  the  views  of  the  Arabs  stated. 

Mohammed  laid  this  down  as  a  great  truth : 
"  The  sword  is  the  l^ey  of  heaven  and  of  hell : 
a  drop  of  blood  shed  in  the  cause  of  God,  a 
night  spent  in  arms,  is  of  more  avail  than  two 
months  of  fasting  and  prayer ;  whosoever  falls 
in  battle,  his  sins  are  forgiven ;  at  the  day  of 
judgment  his  wounds  shall  be  resplendent  as 
Vermillion,  and  odoriferous  as  musk;  and  the 
loss  of  his  limbs  shall  be  supplied  by  the  wings 
of  angels  and  cherubims."  This  one  sentence 
has  ever  since  had  an  influence  almost  incon- 
ceivable. No  Arab  ever  enters  into  a  bloody 
contest  but  as  an  enthusiast.  Here  is  the 
secret  of  the  rapid  spread  of  the  imposture. 

At  the  taking  of  Mecca,  Mohammed  united 
the  factions,  and  would  take  no  revenge.  The 
Koreish  fell  at  his  feet.  "  What  mercy,"  said 
he.  "can  you  expect  from  the  men  you  have 
wronged?"  "We  confide  in  the  generosity 
of  our  kinsman,"  was  the  reply.  "And  you 
shall  not  confide  in  vain,"  said  he:  "Begone! 
you  are  safe,  you  are  Tee." 


68      WORDS  OF  THUTH  AND  LOVE. 

When  the  deputies  of  Tayef  asked  for  a 
toleration  of  their  religion,  he  said,  "  Not  a 
month,  not  an  hour."  Then  they  said,  "  Ex- 
cuse us  at  least  from  the  obligation  of  prayer." 
His  reply  was,  "Without  prayer  religion  is  of 
no  avail." 

When  his  soldiers  complained  of  the  intoler- 
able heat  of  a  summer  campaign,  he  replied, 
"Hell  is  much  hotter."  Just  before  his  death 
he  caused  himself  to  be  put  on  a  pulpit,  when 
he  said,  "  If  there  be  any  man  whom  I  have 
unjustly  scourged,  I  submit  my  own  back  to 
the  lash  of  retaliation.  Have  I  aspei^ed  the 
reputation  of  a  Mussulman  ?  Let  him  pro- 
claim my  faults  in  the  face  of  the  congregation. 
Has  any  one  been  despoiled  of  his  goods  ?" 
"Yes,"  replied  one  in  the  crowd,  "I  am  entitled 
to  three  drachms  of  silver."  Mohammed  paid 
him  his  money  and  thanked  him  for  accusing 
him  here  and  not  at  the  day  of  judgment. 
His  last  words  were ;  "  O  God !  .  .  .  .  pardon 
my  sins.  .  .  Yes.  .  .  I  come  ....  among  my 
fellow-citizens  on  high."  He  died  at  the  age 
of  sixty-seven  years,  having  effected  greater 


Forgiveness. 


I'ago  63. 


THE  CHILD  THAT  WAS  READY  TO  PERISH.   69 

and  more  permanent  changes  in  the  opinions 
and  habits  of  men,  by  the  sword  united  with 
fanaticism,  than  were  ever  effected  by  any  man 
with  either  of  these  means  alone  or  by  them 
united. 

There  is  something  very  striking  in  some 
of  the  usages  of  his  followers,  even  to  this 
day.  They  at  times  seem  to  come  very  near 
the  Christian  temper  in  the  forgiveness  of  in- 
juries, although  they  are  habitually  revenge- 
ful. Their  pardons  seem  to  be  very  much 
confined  to  slight  things  and  accidental  wrongs. 
The  following  story  is  told  of  one  of  the  sons 
of  Ali.  In  serving  at  table,  a  slave  had  in- 
advertently dropped  a  dish  of  hot  soup  on 
his  master.  The  poor  wretch  fell  at  his  feet 
and  repeated  a  verse  of  the  Koran :  "  Paradise 
is  for  those  who  command  their  anger."  "  1 
am  not  angry,"  said  he.  "And  for  those  who 
pardon  offences,"  continued  the  slave.  "  I 
pardon  your  offence,"  said  the  master.  "And 
for  those  who  return  good  for  evil,"  added  the 
slave.  "  I  give  you  your  liberty  and  four 
hundred  pieces  of  silver,"  said  the  master. 


70      WORDS  0¥    TKUTH  AND  LOVE. 

Tills  is  the  brightest  example  of  anything 
like  forgiveness  that  I  remember  to  have  met 
in  all  their  history.  Almost  innumerable  ex- 
amples of  their  cruelty,  even  to  persons  of 
their  own  blood  and  religion,  might  be  given. 

Every  Arab  is  bound  by  his  religion  to  pay 
a  tenth  of  all  his  revenue  in  some  way  to  a 
benevolent  purpose ;  and  if  his  conscience 
accuses  him  of  any  fraud  or  injustice,  he  must 
pay  a  fifth.  They  are  said  very  generally  to 
practise  this  precept. 

Some  of  their  dignitaries  have  set  remark- 
able examples  of  plainness,  and  others  of 
splendour.  Omar  II.  spent  his  last  days  on  a 
bed  of  palm  leaves,  with  a  pillow  made  of 
the  skins  of  beasts,  and  with  but  one  shirt. 
Heshom,  who  came  soon  after  him,  was  just 
the  reverse.  He  left  ten  thousand  shirts,  and 
seven  hundred  boxes  of  various  garments. 

No  one  can  read  the  history  of  this  people 
without  feeling  that  they  are  distinct  from  all 
the  world  in  many  respects.  Indulgence  and 
cruelty  seem  to  be  the  result  of  caprice. 
Shrewdness   is   chiefly   applied    to   evasions, 


THE  CHILD  THAT  WAS  READY  TO  PERISH.      71 

canning  and  fraud.  The  stronger  their  reli- 
gious impressions,  the  more  dangerous  do 
they  seem  to  be,  as  long  as  health  and  success 
last.  Their  habits  of  cooking  and  eating,  of 
hospitality  and  of  revenge,  do  not  seem  to 
have  changed  at  all  for  two  thousand  five  hun- 
dred years,  or  more. 

But  they  shall  yet  be  bi«ought  to  love  the 
Saviour.  When  that  blessed  event  shall  take 
place  is  known  unto  God  alone.  But  that  it 
shall  occur  is  certain,  for  the  mouth  of  the 
Lord  hath  spoken  it.  The  whole  of  the  fol- 
lowing prophecy  in  Isaiah  Ix.  6,  7,  applies  to 
this  people.  ^'The  multitude  of  camels  shall 
cover  thee,  the  dromedaries  of  Midian  and 
Ephah:  they  shall  bring  gold  and  incense; 
and  they  ^hall  show  forth  the  praises  of  the 
Lord.  All  the  flocks  of  Kedar  shall  be 
gathered  together  unto  thee;  the  rams  of 
Nebaioth  shall  minister  unto  thee." 

When  the  day  of  deliverance  from  impos- 
ture shall  come  to  the  Arabs,  their  conversion 
will  probably  be  very  speedy.  The  words 
next  following  those  just  quoted  are,  "  Who 


72      WORDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 

are  these  that  fly  as  a  cloud,  and  as  tlie  doves 
to  their  windows  ?"  Isaiah  Ix.  8. 

Children,  do  you  ever  pray  for  the  Arabs  ? 
Their  souls  are  worth  as  much  as  those  of  any 
other  people.  If  you  ever  hear  them  men- 
tioned at  a  missionary  meeting,  listen  care- 
fully to  what  is  said.  Pray  for  them,  O  pray 
for  them.  Though  Ishmael  was  not  the  child 
of  promise,  he  was  the  son  of  Abraham. 


MEROH,    THE    AFRICAN.  73 


XL 

MEBOS,   THE  AFRICAK. 

In  the  fall  of  1826  I  went  to  Wilmington, 
N.  C,  to  preach  a  few  Sabbaths  in  the  Pres- 
byterian church.  While  there  I  was  visited 
by  a  venerable  man,  a  native  of  Africa.  He 
came  to  the  door  of  my  room,  entered,  and 
approached  me.  I  rose  to  receive  him.  He 
took  my  hand  between  both  oi  his,  and  earn- 
estly pressed  it  to  his  bosom.  Our  interview 
was  not  long,  but  I  received  very  deep  im- 
pressions of  his  moral  worth,  and  of  his  true 
refinement  of  feeling  produced  by  the  grace 
of  God. 

I  have  met  him  once  or  twice  since,  but 
was  commonly  hindered  from  learning  much 
respecting  him,  as  he  was  much  more  inclined 
to  hear  than  to  speak — to  ask  questions  than 
to  answer  them.  Yet  from  him  and  from 
others  I  have  learned  the  following  things. 
7 


74      WORDS  OF  TRUTH  AXD  LOVE. 

Meroh  was  born  about  the  year  1770.  If 
he  is  still  living,  as  he  was  by  last  advices, 
he  is  over  ninety  years  of  age.  He  was  born 
on  the  banks  of  the  Senegal  river,  in  Eastern 
Africa.  His  tribe  were  the  Foolahs.  Their 
religion  was  Mahommedanism.  Many  of  them 
had  the  Koran  and  read  and  wrote  the  Arabic 
language.  I  have  now  in  my  possession  a 
letter  written  by  Meroh  in  Arabic,  bearing 
all  the  marks  of  expert  penmanship. 

I  write  his  name  Meroh.  It  was  originally 
Umeroh.  Some  write  it  Moro;  and  some  put 
it  in  the  French  form,  Moreau.  It  is  com- 
monly pronounced  as  if  spelled  Moro. 

Meroh's  father  in  Africa  was  a  man  of  con- 
siderable wealth.  He  brought  up  his  children 
delicately.  Meroh's  fingers  are  rather  effemi- 
nate. They  are  very  well  tapered.  His  whole 
person  and  gait  bear  marks  of  considerable 
refinement. 

At  about  five  years  of  age  he  lost  his  father, 
in  one  of  those  bloody  wars  that  are  almost 
constantly  raging  in  Africa.  Very  soon  there- 
after he  was  taken  by  an  uncle  to  the  capital 


MEROH,    THE    AFRICAN.  75 

of  the  tribe.  Here  he  learned  and  afterwards 
taught  the  Arabic,  especially  some  prayers 
used  by  Mahommedans.  He  also  learned 
some  rules  of  arithmetic,  and  ihany  of  the 
forms,  of  business.  When  a  young  man  he 
became  a  dealer  in  the  merchandise  of  the 
country,  chiefly  consisting  in  cotton  cloths. 
Some  years  since  I  saw  in  some  new^spaper  an 
account  of  this  mail,  which  I  believe  to  be 
quite  correct.     I  make  an  extract : — 

"While  engaged  in  trade,  some  event  oc- 
curred, which  he  is  very  reluctant  to  refer  to, 
but  which  resulted  in  his  being  sold  into  sla- 
very. He  was  brought  down  to  the  coast, 
shipped  for  America,  in  company  with  only 
two  who  could  speak  the  same  language,  and 
was  landed  at  Charleston  in  1807,  just  a  year 
previous  to  the  final  abolition  of  the  slave- 
trade.  He  was  soon  sold  to  a  citizen  of  Charles- 
ton, who  treated  him  with  great  kindness, 
but  who,  unfortunately  for  Moreau,  died  in  a 
short  time.  He  was  then  sold  to  one  who 
proved  to  be  a  harsh,  cruel  master,  exacting 
from  him  labour  which  he  had  not  the  strength 


76      WORDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 

to  perform.  From  him  Moreau  found  means 
to  escape,  and  after  wandering  nearly  over  the 
State  of  South  Carolina,  was  found  near 
Fayetteville,  in  North  Carolina.  Here  he 
was  taken  up  as  a  runaway,  and  placed  in  the 
jail.  Knowing  nothing  of  the  language  as 
yet,  he  could  not  tell  who  he  was,  or  where 
he  was  from,  but  finding  some  coals  in  the 
ashes,  he  filled  the  walls  of  his  room  with 
piteous  petitions  to  be  released,  all  written  in 
the  Arabic  language.  The  strange  characters, 
so  elegantly  and  correctly  written  by  a  runa- 
"way  slave,  soon  attracted  attention,  and  many 
of  the  citizens  of  the  town  visited  the  jail  to 
see  him. 

"  Through  the  agency  of  Mr.  Mumford, 
then  sheriff  of  Cumberland  county,  the  case 
of  Moreau  was  brought  to  the  notice  of  Gen. 
James  Owen,  of  Bladen  county,  a  gentleman 
well  known  throughout  this  Commonwealth, 
for  his  public  services,  and  always  known  as 
a  man  of  generous  and  humane  impulses. 
He  took  Moreaueut  of  jail,  becoming  security 
for  his  forthcoming,  if  called  for,  and  carried 


MEROH,    THE    AFRICAN.  77 

him  with  him  to  his  plantation  in  Bladen 
county.  For  a  long  time  his  wishes  were 
baffled  by  the  meanness  and  the  cupidity  of  a 
man  who  had  bought  the  runaway  at  a  small 
price  from  his  former  master,  until  at  last  he 
Avas  able  to  obtain  legal  possession  of  him, 
greatly  to  the  joy  of  Moreau.  Since  then, 
for  more  than  forty  years,  he  has  been  a 
trusted  and  indulged  servant. 

"At  the  time  of  his  purchase  by  General 
Owen,  Moreau  was  a  staunch  Mahommedan, 
and,  the  first  year  at  least,  kept  the  fast  of 
E-hamadan  with  great  strictness.  Through 
the  kindness  of  some  friends,  an  English  trans- 
lation of  the  Koran  was  procured  for  him, 
and  read  to  him,  often  with  portions  of  the 
Bible.  Gradually  he  seemed  to  lose  his  in- 
terest in  the  Koran,  and  to  show  more  interest 
in  the  Sacred  Scriptures,  until  he  finally  gave 
up  his  faith  in  Mahomet,  and  became  a  be- 
liever in  Jesus  Christ.  He  was  baptized  by 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Snodgrass,  of  the  Presbyterian 
church,  in  Fayetteville,  and  received  into  the 
church.     Since  that  time  he  has  been  trans- 

r  * 


78      WORDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 

ferred  to  the  Presbyterian  church  in  Wilming- 
ton, of  which  he  has  long  been  a  consistent 
member.  There  are  few  Sabbaths  in  the  year 
on  which  he  is  absent  from  the  house  of  God. 
^' Uncle  Moreau  is  an  Arabic  scholar,  read- 
ing the  language  with  great  facility,  and  trans- 
lating it  with  ease.  His  pronunciation  of  the 
Arabic  is  remarkably  fine.  An  eminent  Vir- 
ginia scholar  said,  not  long  since,  that  he  read 
it  more  beautifully  than  any  one  he  ever  heard, 
save  a  distinguished  savant  of  the  University 
of  Halle.  His  translations  are  somewhat  im- 
perfect, as  he  never  mastered  the  English  lan- 
guage, but  they  are  often  very  striking.  We 
remember  once  hearing  him  read  and  translate 
the  twenty-third  psalm,  and  shall  never  forget 
the  earnestness  and  fervour  which  shone  in 
the  old  man's  countenance,  as  he  read  of  the 
going  down  into  the  dark  valley,  and  using 
his  own  broken  English,  said,  'Me  no  fear, 
Master's  with  me  there.'  There  were  signs 
in  his  countenance,  and  in  his  voice,  that  he 
knew  not  only  the  words,  but  felt  the  blessed 
power  of  the  truth  they  contained. 


MEROH,    THE   AFRICAN.  79 

"Moreau  has  never  expressed  any  wish  to 
return  to  Africa.  Indeed,  he  has  always  ma- 
nifested a  great  aversion  to  it  when  proposed, 
changing  the  subject  as  soon  as  possible.  When 
Dr.  Jonas  King,  now  of  Greece,  returned  to 
his  country  from  the  East,  in  1828,  he  was  in- 
troduced in  Fayetteville  to  Moreau.  General 
Owen  observed  an  evident  reluctance  on  the 
part  of  the  old  man  to  converse  with  Dr.  King. 
After  some  time  he  ascertained  that  the  only 
reason  of  his  reluctance  was  his  fear  that 
one  who  talked  so  well  in  Arabic  mipfht 
have  been  sent  by  his  own  countrymen  to 
reclaim  him,  and  carry  him  again  over  the 
sea.  After  his  fears  were  removed,  he  con- 
versed with  Dr.  King  with  great  readiness 
and  delight. 

"He  now  regards  his  expatriation  as  a  great 
providential  favour.  ^His  coming  to  this 
country,'  as  he  remarked  to  the  writer,  Svas 
all  for  good.'  Mahommedanism  has  been 
supplanted  in  his  heart  by  the  better  faith  in 
Christ  Jesus,  and  in  the  midst  of  a  Christian 
family,   where    he   is   kindly   watched   over, 


80      WORDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 

and  in  the  midst  of  a  church  which  honours 
him  for  his  consistent  piety,  he  is  gra- 
dually going  down  to  that  dark  valley,  in 
which,  his  own  firm  hope  is,  that  he  will 
be  supported  and  led  by  the  hand  of  the 
Great  Master,  and  from  which  he  will 
emerge  into  the  brightness  of  the  perfect 
day." 

This  pious  man  was  supplied  with  a  copy 
of  the  JN^ew  Testament  in  the  Arabic  language. 
He  says,  the  translation  is  not  good.  Yet 
with  the  aid  of  the  English,  he  gained  much 
knowledge  of  God's  word.  Whenever  I  have 
seen  him,  his  appearance  was  striking  and  ven- 
erable. His  moral  and  Christian  character 
has  long  been  excellent.  Christians,  who 
were  well  acquainted  with  him,  doubted  not 
that  he  was  preparing  for  a  better  world. 
Perhaps  he  has  already  gone  to  the  rest  of 
the  redeemed. 

How  strange  are  God's  ways.  Through 
what  sufferings  he  leads  his  chosen  to  the 
knowledge  and  enjoyment  of  himself. 


81 


How  sure  are  God's  purposes.  His  counsel, 
it  shall  stand.  Of  those  whom  the  Father 
has  given  to  Christ,  he  has  lost  none.  All  that 
the  Father  has  given  him,  shall  come  unto 
him. 

How  sweet  heaven  will  be  after  the  sorrows 
and  trodbles  of  earth. 

Let  every  man  stand  in  his  lot,  and  do  and 
suffer  the  whole  will  of  God. 

Our  reward  in  heaven  will  not  depend 
upon  our  station  on  earth,  but  upon  the  rich 
and  free  grace  of  God,  enabling  us  to  serve 
him  with  fidelity.  We  ''  know  that  whatso- 
ever good  thing  any  man  doeth,  the  same 
shall  he  receive  of  the  Lord,  whether  he  be 
bond  or  free."  Eph.  vi.  8. 

There  is  hope  for  the  heathen.  It  is  found 
in  the  Gospel  of  Christ.  Let  them  be  brought 
to  know  it,  and  it  will  be  to  them  life  from 
the  dead.  The  darkest  land  in  heathendom 
shall  yet  rejoice  in  the  light  of  life.  One  of 
the  early  converts  to  the  Gospel  was  the 
Ethiopian  eunuch,  who,  as  church  history 
informs    us^  became  a  great   blessing   to   his 


82      WORDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 

country.  Meroh  is  another  trophy  of  divine 
grace  from  the  same  dark  continent.  Ethi- 
opia shall  soon  stretch  out  her  hands  unto 
God. 


LET  POOR  BOYS  BE  OF  GOOD  COURAGE.  83 


XII. 

T.JET  POOR   BOYS  BE  OF  GOOD  COURAGE. 

Many  a  poor  boy  falls  under  the  power  of 
discouragement.  He  is  afraid  he  can  never 
get  on  in  the  world.  He  would  like  to  be 
useful,  but  he  knows  not  how  to  act.  Good 
old  John  Elliott  said,  "Prayer  and  pains 
through  faith  that  is  in  Christ  Jesus  can  do 
wonders."  Cheer  up,  boys,  good  times  may 
come  yet.  A  physician  in  Philadelphia  had 
dark  times  in  early  life.  His  business  led 
him  to  sea.  While  there,  a  sailor  boy  was 
sent  aloft.  The  vessel  rolled  very  much.  An 
old  sailor  saw  that  the  boy's  head  was  becoming 
giddy.  To  save  his  life,  he  cried  out,  "  Look 
aloft,  you  sneaking  lubber."  The  boy  looked 
up  and  was  no  longer  giddy.  In  his  sadness, 
the  Doctor  heard  the  words;  he  applied  them 
to  himself.     As  often  as  trials  came,  he  heard 


84  "WORDS    OF    TRUTH    A]S^D    LOVE. 

the  words  of  the  old  salt:  "Look  aloft,  you 
sneaking  lubber/^  He  was  thus  preserved 
from  falling  under  fatal  despondency.  He 
did  his  bestj  and  God  blessed  him,  and  he  rose 
to  great  eminence,  and  has  told  us  that  this 
story  had  a  great  effect  on  his  life.  There  is 
a  book  entitled  Self-help.  It  contains  a  list 
of  such  as  have  risen  from  humble  life  to 
great  honour  and  usefulness.  From  that 
book  I  learn  that  from  the  barber's  shop  rose 
Sir  Richard  Arkwright,  the  inventor  of  the 
spinning-jenny,  and  the  founder  of  the  cotton 
manufacture  of  Great  Britain;  Lord  Tenter- 
den,  one  of  the  most  distinguished  of  English 
Lord  Chief  Justices;  and  Turner,  the  very 
greatest  among  landscape  painters.  No  one 
knows  to  a  certainty  what  Shakespeare  was; 
but  it  is  unquestionable  that  he  sprang  from 
a  very  humble  rank.  The  common  rank  of 
day  labourers  has  given  us  Brindley,  the  engi- 
neer; Cook,  the  navigator;  and  Burns,  the 
poet.  Masons  and  bricklayers  can  boast  of 
Ben  Jonson,  who  worked  at  the  building  of 
Lincoln's  Inn,  with  a  trowel  in  his  hand  and 


LET  POOR  BOYS  BE  OF  GOOD  COURAGE.  85 

a  book  in  his  pocket;  Edwards  and  Telford, 
the  engineers ;  Hugh  Miller,  the  geologist, 
and  Allan  Cunningham,  the  writer  and  sculp- 
tor; whilst  among  distinguished  carpenters 
we  find  the  names  of  Inigo  Jones,  the  archi- 
tect; Harrison,  the  chronometer  maker;  John 
Hunter,  the  physiologist;  Romney  and  Opie, 
painters;  Prof.  Lee,  the  orientalist;  and  John 
Gibson,  the  sculptor.  From  the  weaver  class 
have  sprung  Simpson,  the  mathematician ; 
Bacon,  the  sculptor ;  the  two  Milners,  Adam 
Walker,  John  Foster,  AVilson,  the  ornitholo- 
gist; Dr.  Livingstone,  the  missionary  traveller; 
and  Tannahill,  the  poet.  Shoemakers  have 
given  us  Sturgeon,  tlie  electrician;  Samuel 
Drew,  the  essayist;  Gilford,  the  editor  of  the 
Quarterly  Review;  Bloomfield,  the  poet;  and 
A^illiam  Carey,  the  missionary;  whilst  Mor- 
rison, another  laborious  missionary,  was  a 
maker  of  shoe-lasts.  Within  a  few  years,  a 
profound  naturalist,  has  been  discovered  in 
the  person  of  a  shoemaker  at  Banff,  named 
Thomas  Edwards,  who,  while  maintaining 
himself  by  his  trade,  has  devoted  his  leisure 


86      WORDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 

to  the  study  of  natural  science  in  all  its 
branches;  his  researches  in  connection  with  the 
smaller  Crustacea  having  been  rewarded  by 
the  discovery  of  a  new  species,  to  which  the 
name  of  Praniza  Edwardsii  has  been  given  by 
naturalists. 

Nor  have  the  tailors  been  altogether  undis- 
tinguished, Jackson,  the  painter,  having 
worked  at  that  trade  until  he  reached  man- 
hood. But  what  is,  perhaps,  more  remark- 
able, one  of  the  most  gallant  of  British  sea- 
men. Admiral  Hobson,  who  broke  the  boom 
at  Vigo,  in  1701,  originally  belonged  to  this 
calling.  Cardinal  Wolsey,  De  Foe,  Akenside, 
and  Kirke  White,  were  the  sons  of  butchers ; 
Bunyan  was  a  tinker,  and  Joseph  Lancaster 
a  basket-maker.  Among  the  great  names 
identified  with  the  invention  of  the  steam 
engine  are  those  of  Newcomen,  Watt,  and 
Stephenson ;  the  first  a  blacksmith,  the  second 
a  maker  of  mathematical  instruments,  and 
the  third  an  engine  fireman.  Dr.  Hutton, 
the  geologist,  and  Bewick,  the  father  of  wood- 
engraving,  were  coal  miners.     Dodsley  was  a 


LET  POOR  BOYS  BE  OF  GOOD  COURAGE.  87 

footman,  and  Holcroft  a  groom.  Baffin,  the 
navigator,  was  a  common  seaman,  and  Sir 
Cloudesley  Shovel  a  cabin-boy.  Herschel 
played  the  oboe  in  a  military  band.  Chan- 
trey  was  a  journeyman  carver;  Etty,  a  jour- 
neyman printer;  and  Sir  Thomas  Lawrence, 
the  son  of  a  tavern  keeper. 
.  Michael  Faraday,  the  son  of  a  poor  black- 
smith, was  in  early  life  apprenticed  to  a  book- 
binder, and  worked  at  that  trade  until  he 
reached  his  twenty-second  year;  he  now  oc- 
cupies the  very  first  rank  as  a  philosopher, 
excelling  even  his  master,  Sir  Humphrey 
Davy,  in  the  art  of  lucidly  expounding  the 
most  difficult  and  abstruse  points  in  natural 
science.  Not  long  ago,  Sir  Roderick  Mur- 
chison  discovered  at  Thurso,  in  the  far  north 
of  Scotland,  a  profound  geologist  in  the  per- 
son of  a  baker  there,  named  Robert  Dick. 
When  Sir  Roderick  called  at  the  bake-house, 
in  which  he  baked  and  earned  his  bread, 
Dick  delineated  to  him  by  means  of  flour  upon 
a  board  the  geographical  features  and  geolo- 
gical phenomena  of  his  native  county,  point- 


88  AVORDS    OF    TRUTH   AND    LOVE. 

ing  out  the  imperfections  in  the  existing  maps, 
which  he  had  ascertained  by  travelling  over 
the  county  in  his  leisure  hours.  On  further 
inquiry,  Sir  Roderick  ascertained  that  the 
humble  individual  before  him  was  not  only  a 
capital  baker  and  geologist,  but  a  first-rate 
botanist.  "  I  found,"  said  the  Director-Gen- 
eral of  the  Geographical  Society,  "to  my 
great  humiliation,  that  this  baker  knew  more 
of  botanical  science  than  I  did,  and  that  there 
were  only  some  twenty  or  thirty  specimens  of 
flowers  which  he  had  not  collected.  Some  he 
had  obtained  as  presents,  some  he  had  pur- 
chased ;  but  the  greater  portion  had  been  ac- 
cumulated by  his  industry,  in  his  native  county 
of  Caithness,  and  the  specimens  were  all  ar- 
ranged in  the  most  beautiful  order,  with  their 
scientific  names  affixed." 

Not  only  does  God  encourage  the  poor  and 
the  humble  to  do  their  best  by  raising  up  men 
as  we  have  seen,  but  also  by  his  precious  word. 
When  God  so  remarkably  answered  the  prayer 
of  Hannah,  and  made  her  the  joyful  mother 
of  Samuel,  who  was  to  serve  the  Lord  and 


LET  POOR  BOYS  BE  OF  GOOD  COURAGE.  89 

become  so  great  a  prophet,  she  saog  a  glad 
soiig:  "My  heart  rejoiceth  in  the  Lord,  mine 
horn  is  exalted  in  the  Lord ;  my  mouth  is 
enlarged  over  mine  enemies;  because  I  rejoice 
in  thy  salvation.  There  is  none  holy  as  the 
Lord:  for  there  is  none  besides  thee:  neither 
is  there  any  rock  like  our  God.  Talk  no 
more  so  exceeding  proudly;  let  not  arrogancy 
come  out  of  your  mouth:  for  the  Lord  is  a 
God  of  knowledge,  and  by  him  actions  are 
weighed.  The  bows  of  the  mighty  men  are 
broken,  and  they  that  stumbled  are  girded 
with  strength.  They  that  were  full  liave 
hired  out  themselves  for  bread;  and  they  that 
were  hungry,  ceased :  so  that  the  barren  hath 
become  seven ;  and  she  that  hath  many  chil- 
dren is  waxed  feeble.  The  Lord  killeth,  and 
maketh  alive :  he  bringeth  down  to  the  grave, 
and  bringeth  up.  The  Lord  maketh  poor, 
and  maketh  rich :  he  bringeth  low,  and  lifteth 
up.  He  raiseth  up  the  poor  out  of  the  dust, 
and  lifteth  up  the  beggar  from  the  dung  hill, 
to  set  them  among  princes,  and  to  make  them 
inherit  the  throne  of  glory :  for  the  pillars  of 

8* 


90      WORDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 

the  earth  are  the  Lord's,  and. he  hath  set  the 
world  upon  them.  He  will  keep  the  feet  of 
Ills  saints,  and  the  wicked  shall  be  silent  in 
darkness;  for  bj  strength  shall  no  man  pre- 
vail/' &c.  Here  is  the  whole  story.  God  is 
a  helper  of  the  poor.  He  hears  the  young 
ravens  when  they  cry.  And  is  not  a  poor  boy 
of  more  value  than  many  ravens? 

The  way  to  rise  is  to  humble  ourselves  un- 
der the  mighty  hand  of  God.  Let- us  lie  low 
at  his  feet,  and  look  up  to  his  eternal  and  pro- 
pitious throne  for  grace  and  strengtli,  for 
courage  and  success.  Let  us  do  our  duty  to 
God.  Let  us  hold  fast  the  salvation  of  Christ. 
He  can  carry  us  safely  through  all  trials  and 
difficulties.  He  is  kind.  He  is  wise.  He  is 
strong.  None  can  resist  him.  None  can  de- 
feat him.  None  pities  so  much  as  he.  His 
blessing  is  rich  and  adds  no  sorrow. 

Let  all  little  boys  trust  in  the  Lord.  Let 
them  tell  him  their  troubles.  Let  them  ask 
him  to  carry  them  through  their  trials. 


A    RIDE    IN    THE    PINE    WOODS.  91 


XIII. 

^   BIDE  I]^  THE  PIKE    WOODS. 

We  were  clashing  along  at  the  rate  of  thirty 
miles  an  hour  on  one  of  those  fine  railroads 
in  the  State  of  Ohio,  when  I  discovered  my 
friends,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  N.  I  was  glad  to  re- 
new an  old  and  valued  friendship.  We  had 
just  eaten  a  good  breakfast,  and  were  all  well 
and  lively.  In  a  way  the  most  natural,  the 
details  of  w^hich  would  not  interest  others, 
the  substance  of  the  following  narrative  was 
recited.  It  struck  me  as  a  pleasant  illustra- 
tion of  many  truths  of  God's  word.  At  my 
request  the  narrative  has  since  been  writ- 
ten, and  I  give  it  in  an  unbroken  thread.  I 
will  merely  say  that  Mr.  N.  is  an  eminent 
lawyer,  and  his  wife  is  the  daughter  of  a  dis- 
tinguished minister  of  the  gospel.     She  says: 

Soon  after  my  marriage,  my  husband  had 


92      WOEDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 

occasion  to  go  upon  the  "circuit."  For  my 
safe-keeping  and  pleasure,  he  proposed  to  leave 
me  at  the  plantation  of  a  friend  during  his  ab- 
sence. This  plantation  lay  upon  the  river, 
on  his  way  to  the  point  where  he  was  to  take 
the  stage  for  the  interior;  but  as  we  neared 
the  landing  a  violent  thunder-storm  arose,  and 
the  winds  and  waves  became  so  tempestuous 
that  no  boat  could  put  out.  This  was  a  great 
disappointment.  My  health  was  very  delicate, 
and  the  country  was  in  a  very  rude  state.  My 
husband  felt  quite  unwilling  to  expose  me  to 
the  hardships  of  palmetto  roots,  log  houses 
and  rough  fare;  but  there  being  no  place 
where  I  could  be  left,  and  he  unable  to  make 
any  arrangement  to  send  me  back,  I  was 
forced  to  take  my  seat  at  his  side  in  the  stage, 
and  take  my  first  experience  of  the  interior. 
We  made  our  way,  day  after  day,  over  the 
rough  roads,  until  we  reached  the  last  place 
where  the  court  sat,  about  a  hundred  miles 
from  the  river.  I  was  much  amused  with  the 
novelty  of  the  double-pinned  log-house  where 
we  were  lodged.     No  plaster  or  lathing  was 


A    RIDE    IN    THE    PINE    WOODS.  93 

there  on  the  rooms,  the  chairs  were  of  home 
manufacture,  with  seats  of  raw,  undressed 
hide,  and  beds  of  the  same  description.  The 
table  arrangements  were  also  quite  new  to  me, 
and  I  was  enjoying  myself  heartily,  until  one 
day  towards  the  close  of  the  week,  my  husband 
entered  my  room,  and  informed  me  that  he 
feared  we  should  have  difficulty  in  getting 
away.  There  was  but  one  stage  a  week  which 
ran  from  E.  to  the  river,  and  this  stage 
reached  the  point  where  we  were  on  Saturday 
evening,  and  left  the  next  morning  (Sunday) 
on  its  way  to  the  river.  This  intelligence 
gave  me  much  concern.  It  was  now  a  season 
of  the  year  when  it  was  not  considered  pru- 
dent for  those  who  were  not  acclimated  to 
linger  in  that  part  of  the  country.  The  creeks 
were  badly  swollen,  and  the  difficulty  was 
every  day  increasing.  The  roads,  rough  with 
palmetto  roots,  were  almost  unendurable  even 
in  the  easiest  conveyance,  and  the  distance 
from  settlement  to  settlement  so  great  that  it 
Avas  desirable  to  have  some  company  through 
the  long,  dreary  pine  barrens  and  woods.    We 


94      WORDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 

were  much  perplexed.  There  was  not  the 
slightest  prospect  of  our  being  able  to  make 
any  better  arrangement  the  next  week.  My 
husband  went  out  and  offered  a  large  sum  for 
a  wagon  or  saddle  horses,  by  which  we  could 
reach  the  next  station  on  Saturday,  some  forty 
miles  East,  and  so  be  ready  for  the  stage  on 
Monday  morning.  But  all  in  vain !  He  re- 
turned to  me  quite  discouraged,  and  at  a  loss 
what  to  do.  It  was  impossible  for  me  to  start 
deliberately  upon  a  journey  on  God's  holy 
Sabbath  morning — that  day  of  "res^,"  "hal- 
lowed" and  "sanctified"  by  our  God  and  King 
himself.  Not  only  was  the  prohibition  dis- 
tinctly written  in  his  sacred  Book,  and  the 
great  command  enforced  by  his  own  example 
from  the  beginning  of  the  world,  but  the  fond 
memories  of  my  early  years  had  thrown  a  halo 
around  the  Pearl  of  Days,  which  could  not 
be  dimmed.  Nor  yet  an  orphan  and  a 
stranger,  I  had  stood  before  my  venerable 
father  and  oft  repeated, 

"I  must  not  work,  I  must  not  play 
Upon  God's  holy  Sabbath  day  !'* 


A   RIDE    IN   THE    PINE   WOODS.  95 

The  stillness  of  the  Sabbath  morning,  which, 
in  my  childish  fancy,  I  supposed  composed 
of  different  elements  from  other  days,  the 
quietness  of  the  household  arrangements,  the 
not  doing  our  own  pleasure,  or  speaking  our 
own  words,  or  thinking  our  own  thoughts,  the 
Sunday  books,  the  sweet  hours  of  sacred  even- 
ing praise,  all  these  had  left  their  indelible 
stamp  upon  the  Holy  Sabbath,  and  should  I 
now  break  through  all  these  associations,  nay, 
break  God^s  commandments,  and  refuse  "to 
resV^  upon  a  day,  not  my  own,  but  God's? 
It  could  not  be.  We  remained.  I  was  young, 
and  it  was  a  severe  trial  of  my  untried  faith. 
We  saw  the  other  lawyers  depart.  One  after 
another  left,  until  we  were  quite  alone.  I 
tried  to  believe  "Deus  providebit."  But  it 
looked  very  dreary.  It  so  chanced,  however, 
that  on  Monday  morning  some  business  of 
importance  demanded  Mr.  N.'s  attention,  and 
he  was  glad  he  had  remained.  On  Tuesday, 
much  to  his  surprise,  a  gentleman,  and  a 
stranger,  came  to  him,  and  alluding  to  the 
unwillingness  of  the  lady  to  leave  in  the  Sun- 


96      WORDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 

clay  stage,  remarked,  "I  have  a  four  mule 
team,  a  U.  S.  baggage  wagon  empty,  and  a 
couple  of  saddle  horses,  with  two  servants, 
going  directly  to  the  river.  They  are  at  your 
service,  sir."  The  circumstances  were  these. 
The  retinue  in  question  had  been  brought  up 
to  court  under  an  attachment,  a  thing,  of 
course,  very  unusual.  It  might  never  happen 
again.  The  affair  was  settled,  and  now  they 
were  about  to  return  to  the  river,  and  were 
politely  and  urgently  pressed  upon  my  hus- 
band for  his  use.  You  may  be  sure  that,  in 
my  youthful  enthusiasm,  I  had  no  doubt  they 
were  sent  by  God.  I  had  long  before  heard 
the  story  of  the  offering  he  had  provided  to 
take  Isaac's  place,  and  this  seemed  very  much 
like  it.  It  was  very  natural  that  an  animal 
should  be  caught  in  the  thicket  at  the  moment 
that  Abraham  needed  him,  and  it  w^as  also 
nothing  surprising  that  these  should  be  going 
down  to  the  river  at  this  time  when  we  wanted 
them.  Does  not  his  providence  extend  over 
all,  and  were  we  not  his  children,  seeking  to 
keep  his  commandment?     Surely  the  trial  of 


A    KIDE   IN   THE    PINE    WOODS.  97 

our  faith  was  precious,  and  was  found  unto 
praise  and  honour!  But  difficulties  arose. 
Our  host  remonstrated.  "The  creeks  are 
badly  swollen!  It  is  a  dangerous  exposure 
for  you  to  ride  under  our  Southern  sun,  and 
with  these  April  skies;  should  you  be  wet  by 
the  rain,  look  out  for  the  fever!"  Thursday 
morning  came,  and  I  was  sick  in  bed.  How- 
ever, with  an  effort,  I  rose  and  made  prepa- 
rations for  leaving.  The  sky  was  lowering, 
and  thick,  heavy  clouds  obscured  heaven's 
own  blue,  as  the  drops  seemed  just  ready  to 
fall.  A  mattress  was  laid  in  the  huge  wagon, 
the  saddle  horses  were  brought  round,  and 
trusting  in  God,  who  hung  these  dark  cur- 
tains, and  who  wrote  these  commandments 
with  his  own  finger,  w^e  bade  our  host  adieu. 
I  never  saw  him  again.  He  died  not  long 
after,  but  I  well  remember  his  exclamation  as 
he  aided  me  to  mount:  "This  is  carrying  mat- 
ters altogether  too  /ar." 

Our  little  caravan  proceeded  on   its  way 
somewhat  anxiously,  and  night  overtook  us 
in  the  woods.     The  rain  had  not  yet  fallen, 
9 


98      WORDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 

neither  had  the  sun  appeared.  We  built  our 
watch-fire  and  rejoiced  in  the  light-wood  blaze. 
All  arrangements  being  made,  we  lay  down  to 
rest  under  the  protection  of  our  heavenly 
Father.  My  husband  whispered  in  my  ear, 
as  my  eyes  were  closing,  "Don't  be  afraid  in 
the  night,  should  you  hear  the  howling  of  the 
wolves:  they  will  not  come  near  the  fire." 
But  I  will  not  weary  you  with  the  details  of 
that  very  happy  journey.  We  rode  on  horse- 
back, except  when  we  wished  to  rest  in  the 
wagon ;  saw  the  beautiful  flocks  of  deer  roam- 
ing in  their  native  freedom;  roasted  our  veni- 
son on  sticks  over  a  light-wood  fire;  and  I 
found  I  was  able  to  swim  a  creek,  lyiiig  at 
full  length  on  my  horse,  with  considerable 
skill  and  confidence. 

One  of  the  most  remarkable  circumstances 
of  the  whole  journey  was  the  state-  of  the 
weather.  God  hung  his  thick  screen  of  black 
clouds  over  our  heads  the  entire  distance 
which  we  made  in  three  days,  so  that  the  sun 
did  not  smite  us  by  day,  neither  did  he  suffer 
a  drop  of  his  rain  to  descend  upon  our  heads. 


#fe 


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# 

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PioMdcnte 


l'..s-  J9. 


A    RIDE    IN    THE    PINE    WOODS.  99 

I  well  remember  passing  the  last  stream  where 
we  had  anticipated  considerable  difficulty,  and 
to  which  my  husband  had  frequently  alluded 
to  cool  the  ardour  of  my  enthusiasm.  When 
we  approached  it  at  last,  I  ventured  in  on  my 
horse,  and  reached  the  farther  bank  before  he 
had  commenced  the  passage.  I  remember 
how  I  tossed  up  my  hat  and  shouted  triumph, 
somewhat  after  the  manner  of  Miriam  and 
her  damsels,  after  crossing  the  Red  Sea. 
That  Saturday  night  found  us  safely  housed 
at  our  journey's  end,  and  ready  for  the  boat 
to  convey  us  home  the  next  weeki  All  our 
perils  were  over,  all  our  doubts  removed ;  and 
with  the  recollections  of  a  peculiarly  delight- 
ful journey,  were  mingled  thoughts  of  praise 
and  thanksgiving  to  Him  who  had  so  unex- 
pectedly provided  for  all  our  wants,  and  re- 
vealed himself  to  us  in  the  keeping  of  his 
commandments!  These  circumstances  made 
a  deep  impression  upon  me  for  life.  I  was 
young  and  just  commencing  'Hife  in  earnestJ^ 

Trust  in  the  Lord  and  do  good.     Delight 


100     WORDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 

thyself  also  in  the  Lord,  and  he  shall  give 
thee  the  desires  of  thine  heart.  Commit  thy 
way  unto  the  Lord  ;  trust  also  in  him  and  he 
shall  bring  it  to  pass.  Rest  in  the  Lord  and 
wait  patiently  for  him. 

In  keeping  God's  commandments  there  is 
great  reward.  This  is  true  even  in  this  life. 
There  is  nothing  made  by  sinning.  There  is 
nothing  gained  by  cheating.  There  is  no 
more  foolish  act  than  an  attempt  to  rob  God 
of  his  dues. 

Whoso  is  wise  and  will  observe  these  things, 
even  they  shall  understand  the  loving-kind- 
ness of  the  Lord.  Marked  providences  have 
not  ceased.  God  still  rules  the  world.  He 
can  and  will  reward  us  for  all  our  fidelity. 
Godliness  is  profitable  unto  all  things,  having 
promise  of  the  life  that  now  is,  and  of  that 
which  is  to  come. 


MONEY.  101 


XIV. 

MONET, 

The  Bible  does  not  forbid  us  to  have  mo- 
ney. It  says  we  must  not  love  money.  Even 
little  boys  and  girls  sometimes  set  their  hearts 
too  much  on  money.  Some  parents  teach 
their  children  to  get  all  they  can,  and  keep 
all  they  get.  This  is  a  sad  mistake.  When 
parents  give  their  children  money,  they  should, 
indeed,  teach  them  not  to  waste  it ;  but  they 
should  also  teach  them  not  to  hoard  it  up. 
Heaping  up  silver  is  a  poor  business.  We 
were  not  made  for  such  a  purpose.  He  that 
loveth  silver  shall  not  be  satisfied  with  silver. 
Love  of  money  made  Judas  a  wicked  traitor. 
Indeed,  the  Bible  says.  The  love  of  money  is 
the  root  of  all  evil. 

Lord  Harwich,  once  Lord  Chancellor  of 
England,  was   said   to   be   worth  .£8 00,000. 

9* 


102    WOKDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 

Yet  Dr.  King  in  his  anecdotes  of  his  own 
times  says,  that  the  Lord  Chancellor  set  the 
same  value  on  a  half  a  crown  in  the  days  of 
his  great  riches,  as  when  he  was  worth  only 
XIOO. 

Queen  Anne  ascended  the  throne  of  England 
in  the  year  1702.  The  greatest  captain  of  her 
time  was  the  Duke  of  Marlborough.  His 
riches  were  immense.  Yet  when  he  was  very 
old  and  infirm,  he  would  walk  from  the  public 
room  in  Bath  to  his  lodgings,  on  a  cold,  dark 
night,  to  save  a  sixpence  in  chair  hire.  When 
this  great,  foolish  man  died,  he  left  more  than 
£1,500,000  sterling.  Yet  all  his  wealth  and 
honours  w^ere  inherited  by  a  grandson  of  Lord 
Trevor,  who  had  long  been  one  of  his  enemies. 
Thus  men  heap  up  riches  and  know  not  who 
shall  gather  them.  Ps.  xxxix.  6. 

Sir  James  Lowther,  after  changing  a  piece 
of  silver  in  George's  Coffee-house,  and  paying 
for  his  dish  of  coffee,  was  helped  into  his  char- 
iot, for  he  was  lame  and  infirm.  He  went 
home  and  sometime  after  returned  to  the  same 
coffee-house  to  demand  a  half  penny,  asserting 


MONEY.  103 

that  he  had  received  a  bad  half-penny  of 
change  on  his  last  visit.  This  man  had  an 
income  of  about  £48,000  a  year.  He  did 
not  know  whom  to  appoint  his  heir,  and  yet 
he  held  on  greedily  to  every  farthing. 

Sir  Thomas  Colby,  killed  himself  by  rising 
in  the  middle  of  the  night,  when  he  was  in  a 
profuse  sweat,  the  effect  of  a  medicine  which 
he  had  taken  for  that  purpose,  and  walking 
down  stairs  to  look  for  the  key  of  his  cellar, 
which  he  had  inadvertently  left  on  a  table  in 
his  parlour;  he  was  apprehensive  that  his  ser- 
vants might  seize  the  key,  and  rob  him  of  a 
bottle  of  port  wine.  This  man  died  intestate, 
and  left  more  than  c£l, 200,000  in  the  funds, 
W'hich  were  shared  among  five  or  six  day  la- 
bourers, who  were  his  nearest  relations. 

Sir  William  Smythe  was  another  foolish 
miser.  When  he  was  near  seventy  years  of 
age,  he  was  wholly  deprived  of  his  sight; 
and  was  persuaded  to  be  couched  by  Taylor, 
the  oculist,  who,  by  agreement,  was  to  have 
sixty  guineas,  if  he  restored  his  patient  to  any 
degree  of  sight.    Taylor  succeeded  in  his  ope- 


104     WORDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 

ration,  and  Sir  William  was  able  to  read  and 
write  without  the  use  of  spectacles  during  the 
rest  of  his  life;  but  as  soon  as  the  operation 
was  performed,  and  Sir  William  saw  the  good 
effect  of  it,  instead  of  being  overjoyed  as  any 
other  person  would  have  been,  he  began  to 
lament  the  loss,  as  he  called  it,  of  his  sixty 
guineas.  His  contrivance  was,  therefore, 'how 
to  cheat  the  oculist;  he  pretended  he  could  not 
see  anything  perfectly;  for  that  reason  the  ban- 
dage on  his  eye  was  continued  a  month  longer 
than  the  usual  time.  By  this  means  he  obliged 
Taylor  to  compound  the  bargain,  and  accept 
of  twenty  guineas;  for  a  covetous  man  thinks 
no  method  dishonest  which  he  may  legally 
practise  to  save  his  money. 

People,  who  are  foolish  about  money,  did  not 
all  live  across  the  water  nor  a  long  time  ago. 
Many  people  in  this  country  are  crazy  about 
money.  For  it  they  give  up  home  and  peace 
and  quiet.  For  it  some  lose  soul  and  body 
both. 

A  few  years  ago  a  young  man  in  Ohio  was 
doing  well.    He  had  gained  some  few  hundred 


MONEY.  105 

dollars.  But  he  was  smitten  with  the  desire 
to  visit  the  rich  gold  mines  of  Pike's  Peak. 
There  he  hoped  soon  to  earn  bags  of  gold. 
He  raised  all  the  money  he  could,  bought  gro- 
ceries, and  started  for  a  new  El  Dorado.  After 
travelling  along,  he  fell  in  with  swarms  of  hun- 
gry people.  They  begged  as  for  their  lives.  If 
he  had  not  given  them,  they  would  probably 
have  taken  all  they  wanted.  His  kind  feel- 
ings led  him  to  aid  them.  Soon  his  groceries 
were  all  gone.  After  a  long  and  wearisome 
journey,  he  returned  home  with  these  fruits 
of  his  expedition,  one  buffalo  calf,  caught  on 
the  plains,  and  two  young  wolves.  This  was  the 
amount  of  his  stock  on  hand.  Perhaps  he 
may  have  gained  some  increase  of  Avisdom  ; 
yet  if  he  did,  he  certainly  paid  pretty  dearly 
for  it.  He  that  maketh  haste  to  be  rich,  trou- 
bleth  his  own  house. 

How  pleasant  it  is  to  see  people  generous 
and  liberal.  You  can  hardly  ask  some  men 
to  do  a  kind  thing,  without  their  being  prompt 
to  do  it. 

The  E,ev.  Mr.  Rogers,  of  England,  attended 


106  WORDS    OF    TRUTH    AND    LOV^E. 

by  an  ofEcer  of  his  charcli,  called  one  morning 
at  the  house  of  an  excellent  woman.  She  was 
a  widow,  and  had  recently  lost  by  death  a 
pious  and  beloved  daughter.  She  had  but  little 
wordly  goods.  JSTo  great  gift  was  expected 
from  her.  Indeed,  they  called  upon  her  chiefly 
to  show  their  respect,  and  not  to  seem  to  forget 
her,  or  despise  her  mite.  To  their  great  surprise, 
however,  w^hen  their  errand  was  made  known, 
she  with  much  promptness  and  cordiality  pre- 
sented them  with  a  large  sum.  It  was  so 
large  that  they  felt  and  expressed  doubts  about 
accepting  it.  She  put  an  end  to  the  difficulty 
by  saying  with  much  decision,  "You  must  take 
it  all ;  I  had  laid  it  up  as  a  portion  for  my 
daughter,  and  I  am  determined  that  he  who 
has  my  daughter  shall  have  her  portion  too." 
Would  you  be  happy?  Try  to  make  others 
happy.  One  of  the  best  ways  of  getting  good 
is  by  doing  good.  Always  put  duty  before 
enjoyment.  Happiness,  like  a  good  name, 
follows  right  living.  Duty  is  the  road.  Hap- 
piness is  the  pleasant  city  at  the  end  of  that 
road.     Have  you  not  thought  too  much  of 


MONEY.  107 

your  own  happiness  and  too  little  of  that  of 
others?  He  that  watereth  shall  be  watered. 
Think  of  others.  Live  for  others.  Perhaps 
it  is  Chitwood,  who  says : 

If  in  one  poor  bleeding  bosom 

I  a  woe-swept  chord  have  stilled ; 
If  a  dark  and  restless  spirit 

I  with  hope  of  heaven  have  filled; 
If  I've  made,  for  life's  hai-d  battle, 

One  faint  heart  grow  brave  and  strong ; 
Then,  my  Grod,  I  thank  thee,  bless  thee, 

For  the  precious  gift  of  song. 

Honour  Christ  with  your  substance.  He 
gave  his  heart's  blood  for  you.  It  is  a  small 
thing  that  you  should  give  all  you  have  for  the 
promotion  of  his  cause.  A  deaf  mute  was 
asked,  What  is  gratitude?  His  reply  was, 
"Gratitude  is  the  memory  of  the  heart." 
Have  you  such  a  memory  of  the  debt  you 
owe  to  God  ? 


108     WORDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 


XV. 

MTTLMS  FOB  CHILDBJEX. 

My  young  friends,  you  cannot  too  soon 
begin  to  take  heed  to  your  ways.  Form  some 
rules  to  guide  you  in  the  way  of  honour;  and 
stick  to  them.  Be  careful  not  to  adopt  wrong 
rules.  ''He  who  lives  not  by  rule,  lives  not 
at  all."  Read  the  lives  of  great  men,  and  see 
how  they  put  a  bridle  on  themselves,  and  never 
let  your  hearts,  or  words,  or  acts  be  the  result 
of  recklessness  or  evil  passions. 

I  find  in  my  drawer  the  rules  of  behaviour, 
which  after  his  death  were  found  among  the 
papers  of  Washington,  in  his  own  hand-writ- 
ing.  It  is  said  they  were  written  at  the  age 
of  thirteen.     Here  they  are: — 

Every  action  in  company  ought  to  be  with 
some  sign  of  respect  to  those  present. 

Be  no  flatterer,  neither  play  with  any  one 
that  delights  not  to  be  played  with. 


RULES   FOR    CHILDREN.  109 

Kead  no  letter,  books  or  papers  in  com- 
pany. 

Come  not  near  the  books  or  papers  of  another 
so  as  to  read  them. 

Look  not  over  another  when  he  is  writing 
a  letter. 

Let  your  countenance  be  cheerful,  but  in 
serious  matters  be  grave. 

Show  not  yourself  glad  at  another's  mis- 
fortunes. 

Let  your  discourses  with  others  on  matters 
of  business  be  short. 

It  is  good  manners  to  let  others  speak  first. 

Strive  not  with  your  superior  in  argument, 
but  be  modest. 

When  a  man  does  all  he  can,  do  not  blame 
him,  though  he  succeeds  not  well. 

Take  admonitions  thankfully. 

Be  not  hasty  to  believe  flying  reports  to  the 
injury  of  another. 

In  your  dress  be  modest,  and  consult  your 
condition. 

It  is  better  to  be  alone  than  in  bad  com- 
pany. 

10 


110     WORDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 

Let  your  conversation  be  without  malice  or 
envy. 

Urge  not  your  friend  to  discover  a  secret. 

Break  not  a  jest  when  none  take  pleasure 
in  mirth. 

Speak  not  injurious  words  either  in  jest  or 
earnest. 

Gaze  not  on  the  blemishes  of  others. 

When  another  speaks,  be  attentive. 

Be  not  apt  to  relate  news. 

Be  not  curious  to  know  the  affairs  of  others. 

Speak  not  evil  of  the  absent. 

When  you  speak  of  God,  let  it  be  with  rev- 
erence. 

Labour  to  keep  alive  in  your  heart  that 
spark  of  heavenly  fire  called  conscience. 

If  you  should  live  by  these  rules,  could  you 
not  rise  to  honour?  I  hope  you  will.  I  wish 
you  the  best  in  this  world  and  that  which  is 
to  come. 

Cativy  flourished  about  the  fifth  century. 
He  was  the  principal  of  a  college  in  South 
Wales.  He  was  called  The  Wise.  One  of 
his  pupils  was  Taliessin,  the  chief  of  bards. 


KULES    FOR   CHILDREN.  Ill 

In  giving  to  his  scholar  his  usual  blessing, 
he  thus  spake: — 

Think  before  thou  speakest. 

1.  What  thou  shalt  speak. 

2.  Why  thou  shalt  speak. 

3.  To  whom  thou  mayest  have  to  speak. 

4.  About  whom  thou  art  going  to  speak. 

5.  What  will  become  of  what  thou  mayest 
speak. 

6.  What  may  be  the  benefit  of  what  thou 
shalt  speak. 

7.  Who  may  be  listening  to  what  thou  shalt 
speak. 

Put  thy  words  on  thy  fingers,  and  before 
thou  speakest  turn  them  these  seven  ways, 
and  there  will  never  come  any  harm  from 
what  thou  shalt  say. 

I  hope  you  read  your  Bible  every  day. 
That  is  the  best  of  all  books.  Its  rules  are 
the  wisdom  of  God.  Here  are  a  few  things 
said  by  the  w^isest  of  mere  men: 

The  fear  of  the  Lord  is  the  beginning  of 
knowledge. 

My    son,   if   sinners   entice   thee,    consent 


112     WORDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 

thou  not.  Trust  in  the  Lord  with  all  thine 
heart;  and  lean  not  unto  thine  own  under- 
standing. 

Be  not  wise  in  thine  own  eyes:  fear  the 
Lord,  and  depart  from  evil. 

Keep  thy  heart  with  all  diligence;  for  out 
of  it  are  the  issues  of  life. 

Keep  my  commandments,  and  live;  and  my 
law  as  the  apple  of  thine  eye. 

Hear  instruction,  and  be  wise,  and  refuse  it 
not. 

Forsake  the  foolish,  and  live;  and  go  in 
the  way  of  understanding. 

Better  it  is  to  be  of  an  humble  spirit  with 
the  lowly,  than  to  divide  the  spoil  with  the 
proud. 

Look  not  thou  upon  the  wine  when  it  is 
red,  when  it  giveth  his  colour  in  the  cup, 
when  it  moveth  itself  aright. 

If  thine  enemy  be  hungry,  give  him  bread 
to  eat;  and  if  he  be  thirsty,  give  him  water 
to  drink:  for  thou  shalt  heap  coals  of  fire 
upon  his  head,  and  the  Lord  shall  reward 
thee. 


RULES    FOR    CHILDREN.  113 

The  apostle  James  in  very  few  words  gives 
three  excellent  rules:  "Swift  to  hear,  slow  to 
speak,  slow  to  wrath." 

The  Saviour  of  sinners  says  three  things 
of  the  greatest  importance  to  the  young: 

I  love  them  that  love  me;  and  those  that 
seek  me  early  shall  find  me. 

Seek  ye  first  the  kingdom  of  God  and 
his  righteousness:  and  all  these  things  shall 
be  added  unto  you. 

All  things  whatsoever  ye  would  that  men 
should  do  to  you,  do  ye  even  so  them. 

He  that  will  do  as  the  Saviour  directs  shall 
live  piously  and  die  happily.  Nothing  but  holy 
living  makes  certain  happy-dying.  In  com- 
pany one  day,  the  Rev.  John  Newton  spoke 
of  the  death  of  a  lady.  A  young  female  who 
sat  near,  said,  "Oh,  sir,  how  did  she  die?" 
NeAvton  replied,  "  There  is  a  more  important 
question  than  that,  my  dear,  which  you  should 
have  asked  first."  "Sir,"  said  she,  "what 
question  can  be  more  important  than  how  did 
she  die?"  "How  did  she  livef^  was  Newton's 
reply. 

10  * 


114     WORDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 


XVI, 

THE  ANGJEJLS,      THEY   TAKE  CARE    OF 
CHILDREN. 

There  is  a  race  of  beings  in  heaven  who 
are  often  sent  by  God  on  errands  of  mercy  or 
of  justice.  They  are  called  angels.  Both  in 
Hebrew  and  Greek,  the  word  angel  means 
messenger.  Sometimes  angels  are  spoken  of 
as  thrones,  dominions,  principalities  and 
powers.  Sometimes  they  are  called  living 
ones,  because  they  are  so  full  of  life  and 
energy.  Sometimes  they  are  called  cherubim 
or  knowing  ones,  and  seraphim  or  burning 
ones. 

Angels  were  created  before  men.  Then 
they  were  put  on  trial,  some  of  them  kept  not 
their  first  estate,  but  fell  into  sin.  How  many 
sinned,  we  do  not  know,  but  the  number  was 


ANGELS    TAKE    CARE    OF    CHILDREN.       116 

large.  A  legion  of  them  possessed  one  man 
when  Christ  was  on  earth. 

Angels  are  pure  spirits.  They  have  no 
bodies;  ahhough  sometimes  they  have  as- 
sumed bodies  on  special  occasions.  Their 
number  is  very  great.  The  chariots  of  God 
are  twenty  thousand,  even  thousands  of  angels.* 
Jesus  said  that  if  he  had  asked  his  Father,  he 
would  have  at  once  sent  him  twelve  legions 
of  angels  to  deliver  him  from  his  enemies. 
Taking  a  legion  at  six  thousand,  the  number 
here  named  would  be  seventy-two  thousand. 
On  the  day  of  judgment,  angels  shall  be  the 
reapers  to  gather  the  harvest  of  the  world. 

Their  power  is  very  great.  They  "excel 
in  strength."  In  one  night  one  angel  de- 
stroyed all  the  first-born  of  man  and  beast 
among  the  Egyptians.  In  one  night  an  angel 
destroyed  one  hundred  and  eighty-five  thou- 
sand men  in  Sennacherib's  army.  So  we  read 
in  the  Scriptures  of  "mighty  angels." 

Their  glory  is  very  great.     In  the  days  of 

*  Paul  saj'^s,  we  are  come  to  an  innumerable  company  of 
angels. 


116    WORDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 

John,  one  of  these  angels  came  down  from 
heaven,  and  his  radiance  shone  with  such 
brightness  that  his  glor}^  lighted  the  earth. 
John  thought  it  was  an  appearance  of  God 
himself.  No  doubt  if  an  angel  should  appear 
in  his  unveiled  glory  in  any  assembly  on 
earth,  they  would  all  become  as  dead  men. 

The  residence  of  these  holy  beings  is 
heaven.  They  are  called  angels  of  heaven. 
Jacob  saw  them  descending  and  ascending  on 
a  ladder.  Christ  himself  says,  "They  do 
always  behold  the  face  of  my  Father  which 
is  in  heaven." 

Angels  never  grow  old.  At  the  resurrec- 
tion of  our  Saviour,  an  angel  was  seen  in  his 
sepulchre  and  he  looked  like  a  young  man, 
though  he  was  certainly  more  than  four  thou- 
sand years  old. 

Angels  know  much.  As  they  came  from 
the  hand  of  God  they  had  fine  minds;  and 
they  have  alw^ays  loved  knowledge.  They 
have  travelled  a  great  deal  and  seen  many 
parts  of  the  world.  And  then  they  have 
thought  much  on  what  they  have  seen  and 


ANGELS  TAKE  CARE  OF  CHILDREN.   117 

heard.  And  they  have  always  thought  cor- 
rectly. They  are  indeed  not  wise  as  compared 
with  God,  for  he  chargeth  his  angels  with 
folly.  But  they  are  very  wise  compared  with 
men. 

Angels  feel  a  lively  interest  in  the  cause  of 
Christ.  They  always  have  done  so.  When 
God  brought  his  Son  into  the  world,  he  said, 
"Let  all  the  angels  of  God  worship  him." 
Before  Christ  was  born  he  sometimes  appeared 
on  earth  with  one  or  more  of  the  angels  with 
him.  Isaiah  says  that  he  saw  in  a  vision  the 
Son  of  God  worsliipped  by  the  seraphim  with 
the  greatest  humility.  An  angel  announced 
his  conception.  Another  announced  his  birth. 
Many  angels  sang  a  song  in  the  hearing  of  men 
when  Christ  was  born.  After  his  temptation, 
angels  came  and  ministered  unto  him.  In 
his  last  dreadful  agony,  an  angel  strengthened 
him.  When  he  ascended  to  heaven,  a  great 
number  of  angels  received  him. 

The  angels  are  ministering  spirits,  sent  forth 
to  minister  to  them  who  shall  be  heirs  of  sal- 
vation.    Some  have  thought  every  saint  had 


118     WORDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 

a  guardian  angel,  who  took  special  charge  of 
him.  This  may  or  may  not  be  so.  But  every 
child  of  God  is  cared  for  by  the  angels  as 
much  as  is  necessary.  God  said  to  his  people 
that  his  angels  should  bear  them  up  in  their 
hands  lest  at  any  time  they  should  dash  their 
foot  against  a  stone.  The  angel  of  the  Lord 
encampeth  around  about  the  dwelling  of  the 
just.  Angels  repelled  those  wicked  men  who 
assaulted  the  house  of  righteous  Lot.  Angels 
help  the  pious  to  die.  Angels  bear  the  spirits 
of  the  just  to  heaven. 

But  angels  have  a  special  care  of  children. 
Matt,  xviii.  10.  Many  a  time  would  they 
fall  and  be  broken,  but  the  angels  hold  them 
up.  When  their  father  and  mother  are  asleep, 
the  angels  watch  by  their  cradle  and  keep 
harm  at  a  distance.  Many  a  house  would  be 
burned  down  through  the  carelessness  of  its 
inmates,  if  it  were  not  for  the  angels.  It  is  true 
we  cannot  see  them,  but  they  can  see  us.  We 
know  not  when  they  are  present  with  us,  ex- 
cept as  we  find  so  good  care  taken  of  us.  We 
do  not  thank  them  for  their  kindness,  because 


ANGELS  TAKE  CARE  OF  CHILDREN.   119 

they  are  God's  servants.  We  thank  God  for 
them.  What  they  do  for  us,  they  do  out  of 
love  to  God.  They  wish  God  to  have  all  the 
glory.  They  are  not  vain  like  poor  foolish 
men. 

If  we  die  in  the  faith,  we  shall  be  like  unto 
the  angels.  One  text  says,  We  shall  be  equal 
unto  the  angels.  We  shall  certainly  be  with 
them  and  share  the  bliss  they  enjoy.  It  will 
be  a  wonderful  day  when  God  will  send  forth 
his  angels  to  gather  all  his  elect  from  the  four 
winds  of  heaven  and  bring  them  in  to  unite 
in  the  marriage  supper  of  the  Lamb.  Are  we 
so  living  as  to  prepare  us  for  that  great  and  so- 
lemn account  ? 


120    WORDS  OF  TEUTH  AND  LOVE. 


XYII. 

COUNSELS  FOR   CSILDMEN. 

I.  Live  in  peace.  Hate  all  strife.  It  is  a 
dreadful  thing  to  live  at  war  with  those  around 
us.  Be  kind  to  everybody.  If  you  cannot 
live  quietly  with  any  one  of  your  com- 
panions, withdraw  from  him.  It  is  a  sad 
sight  to  see  little  boys  and  girls  engaged  in 
disputes  or  quarrels.  Jesus  never  quarreled 
with  any  body. 

II.  Be  very  kind  to  the  weak,  the  poor, 
and  the  unfortunate  around  you.  God,  long 
a  o,  said,  "Ye  shall  not  afflict  any  widow,  or 
fatherless  child."  Ex.  xxii.  22.  He  also  said, 
"Thou  shalt  not  curse  the  deaf,  nor  put  a 
stumbling-block  before  the  blind."  Lev.  xix. 
14.  It  is  both  mean  and  wicked  to  take  ad- 
vantage of  the  infirmities  and  misfortunes  of 
those  around  us. 


COUNSELS   FOR    CHILDREN.  121 

III.  Use  your  best  efforts  to  become  wise. 
Wisdom  is  the  principal  thing;  therefore  get 
.wisdom.  If  you  do  not  know  a  thing,  ask 
others.  This  is  Scriptural.  God  said  to  the 
Jews  :  "  When  your  children  shall  say  to  you, 
what  mean  ye  by  this  service?  ye  shall  say, 
it  is  the  sacrifice  of  the  Lord's  passover,"  &c. 
We  should  think  before  we  speak,  and  not 
thoughtlessly  ask  silly  questions;  but  if  a 
child  never  asks  a  question  till  he  knows  it  is 
wise,  he  will  probably  die  a  fool.  Better  is  a 
poor  and  wise  child  than  an  old  and  foolish 
king. 

IV.  Watch  your  lips.  Keep  your  tongue 
from  evil,  and  your  mouth  from  speaking  guile. 
Life  and  death  are  in  the  power  of  the  tongue. 
Think  before  you  speak.  Ask  yourself  if  it 
is  right  for  you  to  say  anything;  then  try  to 
speak  kindly  and  truly  and  soberly.  It  is  a 
sad  sight  to  see  a  child  uttering  nothing  but 
folly.  Childhood  and  youth  spent  in  sin  are  a 
great  vanity.     Beware  of  evil  speaking. 

V.  Be  not  too  fond  of  play.  Life  is  a  seri- 
ous business.     It  is  right  that  children  should 

11 


122     WOEDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 

have  their  time  to  play.  But  some  hate  work 
and  hate  their  booivs,  and  love  their  ease  and 
would  be  glad  to  play  all  the  time.  Learn  to 
find  your  joy  in  doing  your  duty.  It  may  be 
hard  for  you  to  do  some  things,  but  try  your 
best,  and  by  degrees  they  will  become  easier. 

VI.  Children  sometimes  have  foolish  and 
wicked  parents.  Job  tells  of  such:  "They 
were  children  of  fools,  yea,  children  of  base 
men.  They  were  viler  than  the  earth."  Job 
XXX.  8.  If  such  is  your  case,  your  trials  may 
be  very  great.  But  do  all  you  can  to  show  a 
meek  and  quiet  spirit,  a  tender  and  loving 
heart.  If  your  parents  are  wicked,  pray  for 
them  the  more.  Ask  God  to  forgive  them. 
If  you  yourself  are  a  Christian,  that  does  not 
exempt  you  from  the  obligation  of  reverencing 
your  parents. 

YII.  Obey  your  parents.  Obey  them 
promptly,  cheerfully,  in  all  things  that  are 
lawful.  I  hope  they  would  not  command  you 
to  do  a  wicked  thing.  If  they  should,  you 
must  not  do  it.  "Children,  obey  your  parents 
in  the  Lord :  for  this  is  right.     Honour  thy 


COUNSELS  FOR  CHILDREN.      123 

father  and  mother;  that  it  may  be  Avell  with 
thee,  and  thou  mayest  live  long  on  the  earth." 
Eph.  vi.  1-3.  "  Children,  obey  your  parents 
in  all  things:  for  this  is  well-pleasiiig  unto 
the  Lord."  Col.  iii.  20. 

YIII.  As  you  grow  up,  try  to  put  away 
childish  things,  1  Cor.  xiii.  11.  As  it  is  a 
shame  for  a  child  to  ape  the  ways  of  old  peo- 
ple, so  it  is  a  shame  for  grown-up  people  to  think 
and  speak  and  act  like  little  children. 

IX.  Let  your  conduct  towards  God  be  very 
humble.  We  are  all  sinners,  and  you  are  no 
exception.  God  hates  a  lofty  spirit.  We 
ought  all  to  be  humble,  and  never  lift  up  our 
heads  in  pride. 

X.  Be  thankful  to  God.  He  has  done  a 
great  deal  for  you.  What  a  mercy  it  is  that 
he  did  not  let  loose  the  passions  of  bad  men 
against  you,  as  he  did  against  those  children 
in  Bethlehem,  Avhen  a  voice  was  heard,  lamen- 
tation, and  weeping,  and  great  mourning, 
Rachel  weeping  for  her  children  and  would 
not  be  comforted,  because  they  were  not. 

XL  Be  very   kind  and   respectful  to  old 


124     WORDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 

people.  N^ever  make  fun  of  them.  Their 
age  itself  should  protect  tliem.  You  remem- 
ber the  children  that  mocked  the  old  prophet, 
Elisha,  crying,  "Go  up,  thou  bald-head;  go 
up,  thou  bald-head."  And  you  remember 
how  God  sent  forth  two  she  bears  out  of  the 
wood,  and  tore  forty  and  two  children  of 
them.  Children  may  often  be  gay  without 
any  sin ;  but  let  them  never  make  merry  over 
the  ap})ea ranee  or  infirmities  of  old  people, 
and  especially  of  aged  ministers. 

XII.  Remember  that  however  long  you 
nvjy  live,  you  must  die  at  last.  You  may 
die  even  in  childhood.  David  fasted  and 
went  in  and  lay  all  night  upon  the  earth  and 
prayed  that  hi^  'ttle  child  might  live.  But  it 
died,  and  so  m^;^  ^.  .^. 

XIII.  Do  all  you  can  to  be  like  Jesus 
Christ.  He  was  the  best  model  that  children 
ever  had.  He  is  the  best  friend  they  now 
have.  When  on  earth,  he  cured  sick  children 
just  as  he  cured  other  people.  Oh,  that  every 
body,  old  and  young,  would  trust  the  Saviour. 

XIV.  Xor  is  childhood  any  excuse  for  not 


COUNSELS    FOR    CHILDREN.  125 

doing  our  duty.  When  God  called  Jeremiah 
to  do  a  great  work,  he  begged  to  be  excused, 
saying,  I  am  a  child.  But  God  said  unto  him, 
"Say  not  1  am  a  child."  It  is  safe  for  old  or 
young  to  do  anything  that  God  bids  them. 
It  is  very  unsafe  for  them  not  to  do  what  he 
commands.  If  God  were  to  require  any  one 
of  us  to  rule  a  world,  the  only  safe  way  for 
us  to  do,  would  be  honestly  to  try.  We 
may  be  young  and  ignorant,  but  let  us  not  be 
wicked  and  rebellious.  Jeremiah  gave  up  his 
objection,  made  in  undoubted  modesty,  and 
went  and  did  as  God  bade  him.  It  is  a  pity 
that  so  many  plead  their  childhood  to  the 
hurt  of  their  own  souls. 

Sometimes  when  a  child  c  ^'  its  sin  against 
God  or  man,  he  pleads  as  a^i  ■  couse  that  he  is 
but  a  child.  But  to  him  that  knoweth  to  do 
good  and  doeth  it  not,  to  him  it  is  sin,  whether 
he  is  old  or  young.  Children  must  give  ac- 
count to  God  as  well  as  others.  His  law  binds 
them  fast.  It  is  true  they  are  not  expected 
to  do  the  work  of  grown-up  people;  just  as 
grown  men  are  not  required  to  do  the  work  of 
11  * 


126    WORDS  OF  TRUTH  AND  LOVE. 

angels.  But  let  all  do  the  best  they  can.  Let 
them  hate  sin  and  flee  from  evil.  Let  them 
do  right  and  seek  truth  and  serve  God  and 
obey  their  parents,  and  not  plead  that  they 
are  too  young  to  do  these  things.  If  they  are 
old  enough  to  plead  against  doing  their  duty, 
they  are  old  enough  to  do  it. 

GOD  THE  GUIDE  OF  THE  YOUNG. 
(  Guide  of  all  who  trust  in  thee, 

Condescend  my  friend  to  be, 
Whilst  I  tread  earth's  pilgrimage 
Through  my  youth  to  oldest  age ; 
Lord,  attend  me  night  and  day, 
Suffer  not  my  feet  to  stray. 

To  my  understanding  show 
What  is  for  my  good  to  know, 
By  thy  teaching  may  I  shun 
Paths  in  which  the  wicked  run  j 
Guide  me  in  that  better  road 
Leading  up  to  thy  abode. 

Abba,  Father,  God  of  love. 
From  thy  throne  of  light  above, 
'Midst  the  hymns  thine  angels  raise, 
'Mongst  the  songs  which  show  thy  praise, 
Hear  my  feeble,  humble  plea, 
In  thy  love  remember  me. 


